This weekend we paid Governor Baker a friendly visit in Swampscott. Since he refuses to come to Weymouth, we decided to go to him! Holding a banner that reads, “‘Climate Champions’ Don’t Approve New Fracked Gas Facilities”, concerned community members reminded Governor Baker that we are not giving up the fight. With gas projects proposed all over the state, we know that this fight goes beyond Weymouth.
Many thanks to all of our friends who stood out in the heat with us for 3 days. We couldn’t do this without you.
Below is our statement for the action:
The Fore River Residents and their allies have spent five and a half years attempting to get the attention of Governor Baker. Every email, phone call, and letter has been ignored or met with the derision of the Governor. A 200 day sit-in at his office ended with the Governor never officially meeting with the woman who only wanted to explain to him why this compressor station was so dangerous to the residents of the Fore River Basin. Instead, upon cornering him in an elevator, his only response was, "You have been so brutal to me, I have nothing to say to you." So we're peacefully bringing the message, yet again, directly to the Governor. Perhaps he will see us as he has his morning coffee or when he leaves for work or other obligations. We are exhausted after all of these years of asking--begging--for a safety and risk assessment, an appropriate environmental review, or an in-person visit by the one person who could have stopped this abomination to show him why this was such a bad idea. As the banner points out, climate champions don't approve multiple fracked gas projects. And decent governors don't ignore the pleas of their constituents.
