Community Leaders Call on Governor Baker to Stand Against the Weymouth Compressor Station
Residents, Statewide Coalition Leaders React to FERC Decision on the Spectra Energy Project
For Immediate Release-January 26, 2017
On January 25th, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a certificate of public necessity and convenience for Spectra’s Atlantic Bridge pipeline expansion project, clearing the way for the project to move forward. This project includes a compressor station in Weymouth, Massachusetts. The Baker administration still needs to provide state permits, including a Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management (CZM) decision for the Weymouth Compressor Station.
Community leader from Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station, Alice Arena in Weymouth responded: “The Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station are most disappointed in the issuance of the conditional FERC certificate for the gas compressor station in Weymouth as part of the Atlantic Bridge project. We were stunned at the issuance as the project was not on FERC’s official agenda for today’s meeting.”
“We call on Governor Baker to finally do the right thing by the people of Weymouth and ask that he support our fight against the placement of this hazardous, polluting compressor in a densely populated, environmental justice area. Governor Baker must stand with local residents concerned that this dangerous federal approval will send gas overseas at the expense of the health, safety, environment, and economic prosperity of the people in the Fore River Basin and in the State as a whole. We ask Governor Baker to not follow the lead of President Trump in his march toward environmental destruction and climate catastrophe.”
Leaders from state-wide coalition Mass Power Forward of over 170 organizations statewide chimed in:
“Unbelievable, another piece of bad news from D.C.”, said Claire Miller from Community Action Works, “I guess now is the moment we’ll see if Baker will stand up for Weymouth against Trump politics. I like to think Massachusetts Republicans are a different breed. We are angry, we will not stop.”
“The Federal Government seems to believe in rubber-stamping projects that are incompatible with our future,” said Joel Wool of Clean Water Action. “We will continue to support residents across the political spectrum who oppose the buildout of unsustainable, unnecessary, unhealthy infrastructure as we uplift the fight for our clean energy future.”
“We will be looking to Governor Baker to see how he reacts to the approval of this unnecessary new fossil fuel pipeline. This is the moment of truth: will Governor Baker side with the people of Massachusetts and defend a livable climate, or side with the new administration in Washington, DC?” said Emily Kirkland of 350 Mass.
Contacts
Alice Arena, 781-223-4796
Claire Miller, 781-775-1429
