On January 26, actor and activist James Cromwell was the first to sign a petition asking for a new environmental impact statement on the Cricket Valley Energy project (CVE). The petition is being circulated by Stop Cricket Valley Energy, which is opposed to the 1100-megawatt gas-fired power plant currently under construction in Dover, NY, and Mothers Out Front, a grassroots movement of mothers and other caregivers who advocate for a “swift, complete and just transition away from fossil fuels and toward clean, renewable energy that ensures a healthy climate today and a livable future for children.”

In 2011, an environmental impact statement was conducted that led the Department of Environmental Conservation to permit CVE. “Since 2011, much has happened that affects how we think about the use of fossil fuels,” says Charles Davenport of Stop Cricket Valley Energy.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo banned fracking in New York in 2014, citing health reasons, yet CVE will be fueled by fracked gas imported from Pennsylvania. Environmental groups opposing fracked gas have argued that it leaks methane, a potent greenhouse gas, at every point of production, from wellhead to delivery at the plant.

Johanna Fallert of Mothers Out Front notes that many scientific and medical research studies undertaken since 2011 link air pollution to a number of human diseases.

“Power plants fueled by natural gas cause toxic air pollution and greenhouse gases, and the public has become more aware of these dangers,” she says. “The demand for renewable energy that doesn’t hurt people or the environment is growing.”

In January, Cuomo announced a Green New Deal to make New York’s power 100 percent carbon free by 2040, saying, “Climate change is a reality, and the consequences of delay are a matter of life and death.”

Davenport is urging people to sign the petition asking New York leaders for an updated environmental impact study of CVE. “Exercise your First Amendment rights to petition your government,” he says. “It’s not necessary to be a registered voter, 18 years old or a New York resident to sign.”

For more information and to read or sign the petition, visit NY.MothersOutFront.org/seis_letter.