Boston Globe: Weymouth turns up heat against gas compressor station

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Boston Globe: Weymouth turns up heat against gas compressor station

From The Boston Globe:

The town of Weymouth is getting louder in its opposition to Spectra Energy’s proposal to build a natural gas compressor station by the Fore River Bridge – with town councilors now joining the mayor, their state legislator, and local residents who’ve crowded meetings and rallied weekly at the foot of the bridge.

Dozens of residents raised objections to the plan in late March at a four-hour hearing in the town before the state Department of Environmental Protection. And more than 60 opponents crowded an April 6 hearing of the Weymouth Conservation Commission, which will decide whether the project meets local and state wetlands requirements. The panel continued the hearing until May 25 to get more information from Spectra about the project’s impact on wetlands and wildlife.

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Reminder - ConCom Meeting Tomorrow

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As a reminder, the Weymouth Conservation Commission will be meeting tomorrow, April 6, to discuss the application of Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC for a Notice of Intent to construct a natural gas compressor station as part of the Atlantic Bridge Project. We encourage folks to attend this hearing and to share their comments with the Commission.

The public hearing will be held at the Weymouth High School, 1 Wildcat Way, South Weymouth, in the Mary Jo Livingstone Humanities Center (maroon building) at 6pm.

Join the facebook event for more updates!


The Notice of Intent has been filed under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act (MGL chapter 131, section 40) and the Weymouth Wetlands Protection Ordinance (Weymouth Code of Ordinances, section 7-301). The proposed project is located on Bridge Street on the parcel shown as Assessor’s Map 6, Block 63, Lot 1. The subject land is located within Designated Port Area and portions of the work are located within Land Subject to Coastal Storm Flowage, Riverfront Area, and Buffer Zone to Coastal Bank and Coastal Beach.

The compressor station will be the only item on the meeting agenda and there will be ample time for questions and discussion, but please note that the public hearing will be limited to discussion of issues relevant to the state Wetlands Protection Act and the Weymouth Wetlands Protection Ordinance. Thank you.

Town Website Information: http://www.weymouth.ma.us/conservation-commission/news/public-hearing-april-6th-algonquin-gas-notice-of-intent-for-natural-gas

Reminder – Important Meeting March 28

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Don’t forget tomorrow is the meeting with the MassDEP regarding Spectra’s permit application. Details below:

We ask you to attend a special public meeting with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.

WHEN:  MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2016 beginning at 5:30 PM

WHERE: THE ABIGAIL ADAMS MIDDLE SCHOOL AUDITORIUM

89 MIDDLE STREET, WEYMOUTH

WHAT: This is a public meeting to help the DEP determine whether or not to grant permits to Spectra Energy Texas to build the compressor station in a designated port.

WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND: DEP Chapter 91 regulations state that in order for a facility to be sited in a designated port, it must be water dependent. This compressor station is NOT water dependent. Additionally, due to the toxic nature of this facility, it will be dumping Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) into the water and air in the Fore River Basin.

HAVE YOUR VOICE HEARD! TELL THE MassDEP TO DENY SPECTRA’S PERMIT !

Submit Comments to Mass DEP on Spectra's Chapter 91 Waterways Application

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Submit Comments to Mass DEP on Spectra's Chapter 91 Waterways Application

Instructions on how to submit your comments to the MassDEP in regards to Spectra's application to build the Compressor Station in a Designated Port Area. They claim it is "ancillary to a water-dependent use [their Hubline]." We believe they can not prove "that such facility cannot reasonably be located or operated away from tidal or inland waters" [301 CMR 9.12 (2)(c)

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Alert: Important Meeting March 28

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ACTION ALERT-

We ask you to attend a special public meeting with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.

WHEN:  MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2016 beginning at 5:30 PM

WHERE: THE ABIGAIL ADAMS MIDDLE SCHOOL AUDITORIUM

89 MIDDLE STREET, WEYMOUTH

WHAT: This is a public meeting to help the DEP determine whether or not to grant permits to Spectra Energy Texas to build the compressor station in a designated port.

WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND: DEP Chapter 91 regulations state that in order for a facility to be sited in a designated port, it must be water dependent. This compressor station is NOT water dependent. Additionally, due to the toxic nature of this facility, it will be dumping Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) into the water and air in the Fore River Basin.

HAVE YOUR VOICE HEARD! TELL THE MassDEP TO DENY SPECTRA’S PERMIT !

For More Information and to keep updated, check back here on our website.

“Like” us on Facebook here.

Email us at: nocompressor@gmail.com

ALERT—ALERT—ALERT—ALERT

Important Meeting March 9 - SPECTRA CANCELED

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UPDATE - SPECTRA HAS CANCELED THEIR APPEARANCE AT THE MARCH 9 CONSERVATION COMMISSION MEETING, but they may be there in April. We will keep you updated!  

CANCELED - Spectra will be before the Weymouth Conservation Commission on March 9th at 7:00PM in the Town Council Chambers at Town Hall. Please plan to attend this important meeting, if you can. We need to deny Spectra our public lands.

A legal notice should be appearing in the paper and the agenda will be out a few days prior.

After thoughtfully and meticulously reading through just one of Spectra's 300-page documents, Councilor Rebecca Haugh came across this striking statement that pertains to the proposed compressor station:

"The Weymouth Compressor Station is also considered to be a high consequence area."

As Councilor Haugh said, "If it is a high consequence area, then why is it being considered and why are there no regulations or laws to protect humans? There are more regulations protecting birds, turtles and bats than human beings with these projects."

Join us on Wednesday, March 9 at the Town Hall in Weymouth (75 Middle Street) to defend our public lands from Spectra.

Action: Protest Gov. Baker's Pipeline TAX

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pipeline tax hearing 2

pipeline tax hearing 2

Attend the crucial hearing on this issue on Thursday, February 25 at 1:30PM.  More details here.

Eversource and National Grid have petitioned Gov. Baker's DPU to institute a Pipeline TAX (you heard right, a tax) to be figured into the rate structure of EVERY electric bill for the residents of Massachusetts. This TAX is to pay for the as yet unbuilt and unnecessary pipelines and compressors of Kinder Morgan and Spectra. This is unprecedented for a rate increase to be established prior to a build-out.

The people of the Commonwealth will pay for the infrastructure of PRIVATE corporations, own none of the infrastructure for which they have paid, and have NO guarantee of lower prices in the future or even of receiving any of the gas coming through the pipelines. The MAJORITY of this gas, whether Spectra or Kinder Morgan, is headed for Canada to be off-shored on the world market.

On February 8, 2016, the DOE signed off on the permits to export this gas to Non-FTA (Free Trade Association) countries. The permits to export to FTA countries was given last May.

There will be an important hearing on this issue on Thursday, February 25 at 1:30PM - meet outside of South Station. More details here.

Tell the DPU and Gov. Baker: No Taxation Without Representation! Gov. Baker is supporting this TAX.

FRRACS Meeting Tonight 2/9

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Hey Folks, Don't forget - FRRACS will be meeting tonight!

When: 6:30PM for new folks--and "old folks," too
              7:00pm for our regular meeting.
Where: Fore River Clubhouse, 16 Nevada Road, Quincy (our new and permanent home)
 
We have lots of actions planned and are in need of your help.
If you can't make it tonight, no worries, our regular meetings are the second Tuesday of the month, beginning at 6:30 at the Clubhouse!  So, the next meeting is Tuesday, March 8.

Hope to see you tonight!

Saturday: Health Effects Presentation

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This Saturday, January 30, folks from PA will be discussing the health impacts of natural gas in South Deerfield, Massachusetts. This may be only time to hear their presentation and it'll be a great opportunity to connect with other pipeline communities. If you're interested in carpooling, then please email us at NoCompressor@gmail.com. More info below:

Presentation on Health Effects of Compressor Stations & Natural Gas Infrastructure

Researchers from the Southwest PA Environmental Health Project will be holding an afternoon seminar to help address questions from New England Communities with a focus on the effects of air pollution from Natural Gas Infrastructure.

This presentation is especially intended for local health and safety officials, town leaders and local activist leaders from communities that could be affected by pipelines, compressor stations and natural gas electric generation plants, though the general public is also welcome.

Since the researchers from SWP-EHP have limited availability to speak outside of their study area, the South Deerfield, Massachusetts location was chosen to be central to communities across New England and upstate New York. This may be a one-time opportunity to hear from the team that led the study on health effects from the Minisink, NY compressor station.    Saturday, January 30, 2016 1:00 - 4:00 PM Frontier Regional High School 113 N Main St. South Deerfield, MA 01373

The Southwest Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project (EHP) is a nonprofit environmental health organization created to assist and support Washington County residents who believe their health has been, or could be, impacted by natural gas drilling activities. http://www.environmentalhealthproject.org/

Tonight: Health Effects Discussion

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Don't forget: Tonight- January 26 – Discussion on the Health Effects of Compressor Stations

7 pm – Thomas Crane Public Library (Quincy Center)

Details: Dr. Curt Nordgaard will lead a discussion on the potential health effects of the proposed compressor station. Co-sponsored by QCAN and FRRACS.

Opposition by residents and office-holders to the proposed Fore River compressor station stems largely from the idea that emissions from the facility would harm the health of Quincy and Weymouth residents.

Research on the Spectra proposal by Nordgaard, who also has a master’s in biology, has taken him deep into the scientific literature on health effects of compounds such as benzene, formaldehyde, and acrolein, three of many pollutants that will be emitted by the compressor station, according to Spectra’s application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.