THANK YOU! Our number one action has resulted in the Administration conducting a study at our request! The study, with meaningful public input, to determine an optimal plan for meeting our energy needs without overbuilding fossil fuel infrastructure and without increasing our over-dependence on natural gas. Good work everyone!
We need to have people all around Massachusetts reach out to ALL the legislators in the Commonwealth. Here is a handout from Mass Pipeline Awareness Network (MassPLAN) that will help. Please ask your legislator to:
- Join the now 30+ communities, 100+ businesses, dozens of organizations and a growing number of legislators publicly opposed to the Kinder Morgan project.
- Deny Kinder Morgan survey access to public land and vote NO on requests to remove Article 97 protection from conservation, park or recreational land.
- Oppose a “tariff” forcing Massachusetts ratepayers to subsidize new natural gas pipelines. Any tariff should be fuel neutral! The government shouldn’t pick who gets our money.
- For references and much more information, please see the MassPLAN handout.
Other ways you can help:
— Ask Governor Deval Patrick to publicly oppose the Northeast Energy Direct Pipeline proposal by Kinder Morgan, to deny them access to state land for survey, and to keep the currently stalled tariff to pay for pipelines off the table.
– Ask him to join our Congresspeople Warren, Markey and McGovern, as well as more than half a dozen State Legislators so far who have taken a public stand against this pipeline.
— Partial Success – Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Maeve Vallely Bartlett has stepped into the FERC process for the Connecticut Expansion (in Sandisfield, Tyringham, and Agawam). The Secretary found that Kinder Morgan had not submitted sufficient information for an expedited environmental review in Massachusetts. Kinder Morgan has asked FERC for an expedited environmental review. The Secretary has asked FERC to ensure we get a thorough environmental review – but FERC has not agreed to do a FULL Environmental Impact Statement. FERC is still planning on a limited review with just an Environmental Assessment. This is not enough! Ask the Secretary to insist on a full EIS from FERC. We want an investigation of how the new gas would affect the Massachusetts Global Warming Solutions Act statutory goals for greenhouse gas reductions.
— Ask your state legislators to:
1. Hold a hearing on New England States Committee On Electricity’s (NESCOE) mode of operations and the lack of public accountability.
Call for an investigation of NESCOE – A Conservation Law Foundation briefing paper (http://www.clf.org/blog/clean-energy-climate-change/governors-infrastructure-plan/) shows that NESCOE operates pretty much behind closed doors with undue influence by the gas and utility companies. The organization acts like a quasi-governmental organization, speaking for the governments of the 6 New England states. The Governor should call for an investigation of NESCOE, while demanding NESCOE:
– respond in full to the current Freedom of Information Act Request,
– create a public process for determining the future of our electric system.
2. Pledge to oppose the release of Article 97 land from its protection.
Article 97 of the state constitution states:
“the people shall have the right to clean air and water, freedom from excessive and unnecessary noise, and the natural, scenic, historic, and esthetic qualities of their environment.” Kinder Morgan’s pipeline map travels through state-owned lands and municipal lands acquired for conservation or recreation purposes under Article 97. The article further states that “Lands and easements taken or acquired for such purposes shall not be used for other purposes or otherwise disposed of except by laws enacted by a two thirds vote, taken by yeas and nays, of each branch of the general court.”
To release protected land from that state protection requires a 2/3 majority of both houses of state government. Please ask your Senator and Representative to pledge to oppose the release of any Article 97 land for building this pipeline.
3. SUCCESS! – Require a comprehensive study of how we can best meet our energy needs – THANK YOU! The state of Massachusetts has agreed to have this study done and agreed to making it an open and public process!!!! Now, let’s hold them to it!
Even with industry insiders guiding NESCOE, their own study stated that under the Low Demand Scenario there is no need for new, long-term infrastructure, but they have not done the study to determine how to meet the Low Demand Scenario. We believe that we are already on track to meet the Low Demand Scenario – by continuing our nationleading energy efficiency programs (saving customers lots of money while reducing greenhouse gas emissions) – and adding clean, renewable electric generation that will have ZERO fuel cost. We believe staying on this path will not only save money, but will be helping to protect the environment at the same time.
Thank you for taking action!
Sincerely,
Jane Winn
Executive Director, Berkshire Environmental Action Team