FRRACS and allies visit Gov. Baker
/
Photo Credit: Families Against Enbridge
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.
Comments submitted to FERC
/Last week, we asked people to submit comments to FERC, urging them to suspend construction during the COVID-19 public health crisis. The comments have been filtering in — thank you! You can view the comments below. If you haven’t submitted one yet, there’s still time. For instructions, click here.
Thank you, all!
PHMSA Compressor Station Safety Meeting Recap
/Officials from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) came to Weymouth to hold a public listening session to examine the serious public safety issues relating to the construction and operation of the proposed Weymouth compressor station. The meeting was organized and facilitated by Congressman Lynch. We thank Congressman Lynch for organizing this important meeting.
FRRACS held a standout before the meeting started. We were joined by community members, the Grim Reaper, Congressman Lynch, and a cardboard cutout of Charlie Baker (aka Governor Gas). If Baker doesn’t want to show up to support his constituents, his cardboard cutout will.
Public Testimony
Nearly 250 people filled the auditorium of Abigail Adams Middle School for the meeting. It was a great turnout. Many of our local elected officials were in attendance and provided their testimony at the beginning of the meeting. You can watch the meeting in full here (many thanks to WETC for filming).
News Reports
Boston 25 News - Weymouth residents fight proposed compressor station near Fore River bridge (video)
95.9 WATD - Weymouth: Hundreds Attend Federal Committee Meeting on Gas Compressor Station Proposal (audio)
Weymouth News - Compressor foes state their case at hearing
Health impacts motivate Councilor Haugh to run in the Boston Marathon
/
Our amazing District One councilor has not only been fighting the fight alongside of FRRACS-- and leading in so many ways-- she's been training for the Boston Marathon in her spare time! Her efforts to fight cancer-- so familiar in our Basin-- mean more to us than she can know.
You can read more about this story here: The Weymouth News - Cancer statistics motivate Weymouth councilor to run Boston Marathon
Read MoreChemical tanks in Houston on fire for multiple days
/
A large fire at a petrochemical terminal in Houston, TX broke out Sunday evening. The fire spread to eight tanks, though one is said to be empty. Authorities claim that air quality in the area is within normal guidelines. We are skeptical of their findings. No injuries have been reported, luckily, but we are concerned about the potential health impacts that this incident will have on surrounding communities. You can read more about this story here.
Read More
Gas explosion in San Francisco destroys buildings
/
Another explosion. This time in California. Panic ensued and buildings were burned, but luckily no injuries were reported. How can these companies continue to claim that their infrastructure is safe?? You can read more about the explosion at NBC News - Gas explosion in San Francisco shoots fire that burns multiple buildings.
Read MoreBraintree Town Council supports appeal of air quality permit
/
The Braintree Town Council passed a resolution in support of the Town’s efforts to appeal Enbridge’s air quality permit. You can read more at The Patriot Ledger - Braintree council backs compressor station appeal.
Read MoreResolution against compressor station permits passes in Quincy
/
Quincy City Council passed a resolution telling the State to deny the Wetlands and Waterways permits. We send our thanks to Council President, Brad Croall, Councilor McCarthy, and the City of Quincy for their work on this effort!
Read MoreWeymouth resident, Andrea H., talks about her sit-in on NECN
/
Andrea Honore relaunched her sit-in at the Governor’s office after the release of the faulty HIA and MassDEP’s approval Enbridge’s air quality permit. She has been sitting in the Gov.’s waiting room nearly every afternoon on her lunch break for over 90 days (the first term of her sit-in was in 2017). Gov. Baker has not spoken to her. In fact, his staff states that “Gov. Baker does not meet with constituents.” Andrea was on The Take with Sue O’Connell on NECN to talk about Gov. Baker and the compressor station. You can watch the clip here.
Read MoreCall Gov. Baker -- Remind him that fossil fuels cause climate change
/
Action Item: CALL GOV. BAKER -- 617-725-4005 AND COMMENT ON HIS RECORD IN MA. Go to the House Committee on Natural Resources: Democrats facebook page and make a comment.
Contradiction Charlie is at it again. Gov. Charlie Baker is heading to Congress this week to testify on the issue of climate change. Please give him a call and remind him that fossil fuels (i.e. fracked-gas) cause climate change.
Read MoreWGBH covers a Weymouth resident's sit-in at the Governor's office
/
If you’re familiar with the fight against the compressor station, you are probably familiar with the #SitWithAndrea daily sit-in at Gov. Baker’s office. Andrea Honore, a Weymouth resident, has been spending her lunch break in the Gov.’s office for 90+ days. Gov. Baker has yet to meet with her. What will it take for him to finally meet with a constituent? You can follow her story online here.
WGBH Morning Edition covered this story. You can listen to it here.
Read MoreGov. Baker to testify before Congress on climate change
/
Governor Baker is heading to Congress this week to testify on the issue of climate change. We find this somewhat perplexing given the fact that he supports fracked-gas, you know, one of the fossil fuels contributing to climate change. See WGBH News for text regarding Baker testifying on climate change.
Read MoreBraintree appeals air quality permit
/
We thank the Town of Braintree for submitting an appeal to MassDEP in response to their granting of an air quality permit for Enbridge’s proposed compressor station. MassDEP based their decision on the results of an incomplete health impact assessment (HIA). You can read more about this story in The Patriot Ledger
Read MoreCongressman Lynch reiterates safety concerns after MI compressor fire
/
Congressman Lynch has been voicing his concern about the compressor station for many years now, and is reiterating his concern after a fire at a compressor station in Michigan reduced natural gas service to homes nearby during a cold snap. Read more from Jessica Trufant at The Patriot Ledger.
Read MoreEnbridge fails to adequately respond to malfunction, but NGrid doesn't
/
Enbridge has proven to us yet again that they are not a safe, reliable company. Incident after incident, Enbridge deflects blame and fails to adequately respond to danger. Luckily, Nation Grid in Rhode Island has been on the ball. You can read more about Nation Grid’s reponse here. We applaud the workers at National Grid for being on top of the situation from the beginning. Welcome back to work, union brothers and sisters. We're glad you are here.
Read MoreFlashback Friday: Gov. Baker's ties to Spectra Lobbyists
/
Our Governor. Bought and paid for by Enbridge. Two years ago it was revealed that Gov. Baker had ties to Spectra lobbyists. This was uncovered by investigative journalist Itai Vardi. We’re sharing this story again because it’s still so relevant. Desmogblog - Revealed: Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker's Close Ties to Lobbyists For Spectra Energy, Whose Pipeline Projects He Backs
Read More
'Equipment Malfunction' causes explosion at MI compressor station
/
It just keeps getting better. This compressor station is "out in a field." But that is not the worst of it. In weather that is colder than Antarctica, people in Michigan are being threatened with no heat due to an explosion at this compressor station. A major storage tank is beneath this compressor and cannot be accessed due to the explosion. We hold the affected people of Michigan in our thoughts. And ask the powers that be if they understand "circular" problems: methane gas emissions cause climate change, climate change caused the polar vortex, the polar vortex is causing the use of more methane, which is causing climate change....." You can read more about this story at The Voice.
Read More