Update on Wetlands Case - Motion to Keep the Stay

/

Since Judge Casper in Federal Court sided with Spectra/Enbridge and against the Town/Weymouth Conservation Commission for denying the wetlands permit, Spectra/Enbridge has now filed a motion with MASSDEP to remove all stays. We wanted to inform you that the local intervenor group is opposing their motion to remove the stay and have asked the Presiding Officer (Jane Rothchild) to continue the stay.

The Intervenors to Protect the Environment sent a motion today to the Office of Appeals and Dispute Resolution at MassDEP. We want the stay to continue and Spectra/Enbridge does not. You can read the intervenors motion here.  We will keep you updated on this matter.

Many thanks to Margaret B. and others for their effort on this!

Cold weather does not require more pipelines

/
Cold weather does not require more pipelines

After the cold snap we experienced last week, you may be hearing the argument that this is why we need more fracked gas and pipelines. This argument is not at all true. There is absolutely no need to build new fossil fuel infrastructure for a peak in energy use a few days a year. The Conservation Law Foundation explains it well in their piece, Cold Snap Shows We Still Don’t Need New Gas Pipelines.

Read More

Submit PIP Comments by Friday, Jan. 5 at 5PM!

/
Submit PIP Comments by Friday, Jan. 5 at 5PM!

Very short notice, but we're hoping folks can quickly submit comments regarding the Public Involvement Plan (PIP) for the oil contamination at the proposed compressor site.

Comments are due this Friday, January 5 at 5pm to Kelley Race of TRC (Krace@trcsolutions.com ).

You can use this form (PDF; Word doc) of sample questions to submit to Kelley Race.

More info about the PIP is available here on our site.

Read More

Pipeline blowdown in Western Mass.

/
Pipeline blowdown in Western Mass.

Last month an unannounced pipeline blowdown rocked the town of Richmond, MA. The Berkshire Eagle reported that residents heard a noise that "sounded like a thousand jets flying overhead". The smell of gas permeated throughout the area and was described as "overwhelming." Residents were terrified and had no idea what was going on. Many called the police and the company that runs the Kinder Morgan pipeline. After 40 minutes, the blowdown ended. No one was injuried, but many were left feeling scared. You can read the full story here.

Read More

FERC denies request for rehearing

/
FERC denies request for rehearing

Unfortunately, in the land of FERC, there is no break for the holidays. FERC issued it's denial of our request for a hearing regarding the Certificate of Conditional Approval. You can read the 71-page document here. In January of this year, FERC granted Spectra/Enbridge "Conditional Approval" to begin construction of Atlantic Bridge, despite lacking a handful of permits. We hired an attorney, Carolyn Elefant, in January, and filed an appeal with a host of other groups and towns. We are consulting Carolyn today and how to proceed. We will keep you updated.

Read More

Action Item: Email MassDEP

/
Action Item: Email MassDEP

As a follow-up to Dr. Nordgaard's letter to MassDEP (read more about that here), we are asking folks to send an email to MassDEP staff. Phone calls are great, but we haven't had much success getting in contact with staff via phone. But don't let that stop you from making a phone call if that is your preference.

You are welcome to use the sample letter below, or you can write your own. Letters can be emailed to: Millie.Garcia-Serrano@state.ma.us, Gary.Moran@state.ma.us, thomas.cushing@state.ma.us, christine.kirby@state.ma.us

Read More

Silence, not Action, from MassDEP

/
Silence, not Action, from MassDEP

After months of contacting officials at MassDEP, we continue to feel frustrated by their radio silence. Data collected in the Fore River Basin show alarming levels of pollutants, but these levels don't seem to alarm the agency tasked with "protect[ing] and enhanc[ing] the Commonwealth’s natural resources – air, water, land – and to provide for the health, safety, welfare and enjoyment of the people."

 

Their silence is not acceptable. As an agency who sees it as their mission to provide for the health of safety of people, they seem to have lost their direction. In an attempt to get them to listen, and act, Dr. Nordgaard sent a letter outlining the many concerns that we have as a community. His letter included the following attachments, which are all available below: 2017 Fore River VOC Results, Fore River Energy Center Non-Comprehensive Plan Approval Application Report, Massachusetts 2016 Air Quality Report, and a Flammable Risk Analysis.

Read More

Oct. 23 Presentation Recap: Blowdowns and the Compressor Station

/

On Monday night, we held a special meeting to present data related to air pollution modeling and the proposed compressor station. Dr. Curt Nordgaard lead the presentation, followed by a discussion. We felt that it was important to present the information that we found, especially to folks living on the South Shore, and who commute up Rt 3A over the new bridge.

Dr. Nordgaard's presentation is available for viewing here.

Fall Fest 2017 Recap

/

What a wonderful day it was in the park. We were thrilled to see so many people from the community come out to explore and celebrate the park next to the proposed compressor station. In addition to delicious vegetable soup and homemade bread, there were lots of fun games and activities for visitors to enjoy. We had pumpkin painting, face painting, an egg race, bean bag toss, and a donut-eating contest. Visitors also enjoyed a visit from the "Leaky Lemonade" stand -- you pay full price for a leaky cup of lemonade, much like the leaky gas pipes that we are paying for throughout the state. 

This event could not have been possible without the generosity of volunteers who gave their time and resources. Many thanks to John for cooking all of the delicious food, Occupy Hingham for serving the food, Margaret for her masterful face-painting, Jerry for organizing the parking, Alice for organizing the volunteers, and to many, many others for the generous help! 

We hope everyone enjoyed the day! See below for photos of the Fall Fest.