Hamptons Police Monitor Rosé Pipeline Protest
Police were called last week to monitor an ongoing protest over the construction of a set of pipelines on the North and South Forks. Several protestors were arrested.
The controversial Grapeseed XL pipelines, in the works for years but only recently given the final go-ahead by the federal government, are designed to carry rosé from wineries on the East End of Long Island to up-island markets. Experts say the Grapeseed XL pipelines are crucial for the development of the local rosé industry, which they say produces abundant wine that currently must be shipped inefficiently by truck to points west to supply needs elsewhere.
Activists have long fought the construction of the Grapeseed XL pipelines, which they say travel through unspoiled wilderness and carry the risk of massive wine spills that could wreak environmental devastation. They also point out that spills would mean the loss of a lot of tasty rosé.
One protestor, who consented to be interviewed on the condition that he remain anonymous, is suspicious of the stated goal of the pipelines. “Let’s face it, we barely have enough rosé around here to meet the local need. Once they get this pipeline up and running, how long before they start using it to ship cheap, substandard rosé from elsewhere into our area, and start taking all the good stuff for themselves? Mark my words!”
This protestor, along with three others, was taken into custody for trespassing and refusing to comply with police orders.
The Grapeseed XL pipeline construction is proceeding.