Town's Update on the Compressor Station
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FERC denies request for rehearing
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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 MoreHealth Assessment Could Take up to a Year
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In Friday's letter from Secretary Beaton, he stated the state's Health Impact Assessment could take 10-12 months to complete. This is good news, though it's not certain that it would delay Enbridge's timeline. You can read the more about it in today's Patriot Ledger article.
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Action Item: Email MassDEP
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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 MoreSilence, not Action, from MassDEP
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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 MorePIP/Contamination Meeting Full Video
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Our friends at Film Our Way Films graciously volunteered to film the entire Q&A portion of the PIP meeting at the middle school last week, and we're so glad that they did!
The meeting is split into three videos, all of which you can watch online here. The first of the three videos is available for viewing below.
Read MoreRep. Lynch Introduces Anti-Pipeline Bill
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Many thanks to Congressman Lynch for introducing H.R. 4381, the Natural Gas Pipeline Public Health Protection Act of 2017, which would suspend construction and expansion of natural gas facilities in communities with unsafe air pollutant levels. This certainly can't hurt our cause here in the Basin.
Read MorePIP Contamination Meeting Recap & Draft Plan
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On Monday night there was a meeting at Abigail Adams Middle School in Weymouth to discuss the oil contamination at the proposed compressor site. FRRACS submitted a petition to MassDEP to request a Public Involvement Plan (PIP) in relation to the clean-up of the oil contamination at the site. Sixteen residents signed onto the petition.
Read MoreFull Video of Oct. 23 Safety Air Modeling Presentation
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If you missed our presentation on what was left out of the draft air pollution permit, you can watch the full presentation and discussion below. The presentation portion is about 44 minutes long; the discussion begins at ~45:00 min.
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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.
Oil Contamination - Public Involvement Plan (PIP)
/The proposed compressor site has also designated as a Tier 2 disposal site, due to oil contamination. We submitted a petition for a Public Involvement Plan, which would allow us to be involved in the clean-up process.
Read MoreFRRACS Community Fall Fest - Oct. 21
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This fall FRRACS will be hosting a community festival in the park next to the proposed compressor station. If the compressor station does get built, we could lose access to the public park that sits along the Fore River Basin. We will gather to celebrate the park and all that we have accomplished thus far in the fight against the compressor station. We hope that you will join us in this celebration.
Read More95.9 WATD on Sen. Warren's Visit
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Senator Warren paid a visit to the proposed compressor station site last week. She has been a staunch opponent of the project for quite some time now. We thank her for her continued efforts and support. Listen to Alice Arena talk about Senator Warren's visit in this short radio clip.
Read MoreMayor Sullivan Addresses Air Pollution
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After we presented at the Braintree Town Council meeting in August, Mayor Sullivan and other town members have voiced their concerns about the high levels of benzene in Braintree. Read more in the Braintree News:
East Braintree civic leaders want answers about high benzene levels
Sullivan shifts focus to Braintree benzene levels
Read MoreSenator Warren Visits the Proposed Site
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Senator Warren was in the neighborhood and stopped by to see the North Parcel! She was incredulous about the close population and the fact that the Federal regulatory commissions (like FERC) would even consider this siting.
Read MoreA special thank you
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It has been a very long two and three quarters years! The latest stay on the Waterways permitting warrants us taking a moment to thank all of you who have fought so long and hard to get to this point. Recognizing that it ain't over, we would still like you all to know that the Fore River Residents do not take your hard work, focus, and dedication for granted.
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