FRRACS to go to court with DEP on final permits

Commissioner Suuberg issued his approval of the wetlands and waterways permits late in the day yesterday, ignoring the agency's regulations to protect wetlands and waterways in the Commonwealth. We know that this is a difficult moment but we want to assure you that this fight is not over. We are taking DEP to court and will continue to fight until this toxic project is withdrawn. Stick with us, folks.

Our press release is below.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, October 25, 2019

Media Contact: Alice, nocompressor@gmail.com

Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station to bring Department of Environmental Protection to court

Community Organization to seek judicial review of Wetlands and Waterways permits granted to Enbridge for Weymouth compressor station

Weymouth, MA-- The Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station (FRRACS) will proceed into Superior court over the issuance yesterday of the Wetlands and Ch. 91 Waterways permits to Enbridge/Algonquin. FRRACS contends that the permits were given in direct violation of the Department of Environmental Protection’s regulations protecting wetlands and waterways in the Commonwealth.

FRRACS, a citizens group in the Fore River Basin, previously sought appellate relief from the DEP on the issuance of the initial permit approvals. Presiding officer Jane Rothschild’s decisions recommending that the permits be granted by the commissioner were handed down last Wednesday, October 16, 2019. 

Commissioner Suuberg had been petitioned in a letter by members of the South Shore legislative delegation to reconsider the decisions and deny the permits based on the departments own regulations, the vulnerability of the location to flooding and storm surge, the contamination of the property, the non-water dependent nature of the station, the density of the surrounding population, and the failure of Enbridge to have a final plan for storm water mitigation. The delegation stated “we implore that you in your authority view this proposal in a light favoring the health and safety of the community.”  MADEP Commissioner Suuberg ignored this petition.

Upon learning of the final permit releases, lead intervenor for FRRACS, Margaret Bellafiore, stated, “By granting the Enbridge Gas Corporation permits to pollute, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has failed the people who live in the Fore River Basin.”

The City of Quincy has joined with the Fore River Residents to appeal both of the permits. Enbridge/Algonquin still requires the Coastal Zone Management determination of consistency and the approval of the DEP Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup prior to any construction. FRRACS states that they will continue to fight this ill-conceived gas transmission compressor station siting until it is withdrawn by Enbridge.