It was announced today that Environment Secretary Matthew Beaton will be leaving his role as Environment Secretary to join the consulting firm TRC as a senior vice president. Yes, this is the same firm that has worked for Enbridge on the compressor station project. Beaton will be replaced by Kathleen Theoharides, a former conservation consultant.

You can read more about this new development here: Desmog - After Approving Enbridge Permit, Massachusetts’ Environment Secretary Lands Job with Project’s Contractor

FRRACS was presented with an award for outstanding activism at the Local Environmental Action conference this past weekend. We feel lucky to have such a great team working on this effort! The fight against the compressor station takes all of us.

Stranded assets are now a reality, not just speculation any more. Let's hope ISO New England is paying attention.

A gas plant in Indiana has been rejected by regulators due to concerns related to stranded assets. You can read more here: Utility Dive - Indiana regulators reject Vectren gas plant over stranded asset concerns

It seems that our friends at the Department of Enabling Polluters (DEP) hid some evidence from us when they did their limited time canister testing in the Basin. You can go here to see the full report.

Our first community meeting was a great success! Many thanks to everyone who joined us at the Whipple Senior Center in North Weymouth to learn about this project and to share their stories. We will be holding three more meetings; join us! Every meeting is the same, so you only need to attend one.

May 7 from 6:30 - 8:30PM at the Thayer Public Library in Braintree

May 22 from 6:30 - 8:30PM at the Germantown Community Center in Quincy

June 6 from 7:00 - 9:00PM at the Fore River Clubhouse in Quincy

Well, well, well--you don't say. Air quality is Massachusetts has worsened?!

Between the massive traffic being exacerbated by the mess that is the T and the commuter rail and the rush to add as much polluting gas infrastructure as possible, we don't think Gov. Baker is doing us any favors. The "Environmental Governor?" We think not.

You can read the full piece from The Boston Globe.

Governor Baker made an appearance at a tree planting ceremony in Quincy today. We are grateful to the DCR for planting trees to stem the tide of climate change and to beautify our Commonwealth. But remember, One Compressor = 22,000 Cars. So, Gov. Baker--cognitive dissonance, much? #onedamntree

FRRACS showed up peacefully and recorded the ceremony. You can watch the 12-minute video here.

The Boston Globe asked readers to submit letters to the editor in advance of Earth Day, detailing what has inspired to take action on environmental issues. A local resident’s letter about the compressor station was featured in the post. Many thanks to Valerie!

An exclusive report from Desmog found that MassDEP submitted air samples to a lab in RI but did not include the results in the HIA, despite data showing the presence of several VOCs. We find this information very concerning and demand to know why this information was not included.

You can read the full piece from Itai Vardi at Desmog - Exclusive: Air Permit OK’d After New Evidence of Carcinogens at Enbridge’s Planned Gas Facility in Massachusetts Left out

Some good news for a change, Fore River Campers! Mass DEP has decided to use their own regulations. Coal ash is not, nor has EVER been, historic fill. Funny how a Licensed Site Professional who is taking money from Enbridge to forward the compressor AND taking money from Enbridge to claim there is no problem with the contamination at the site would come up with an Access and Use Limitation report that would ignore the coal ash. Are you laughing yet? You can read more about this update via The Patriot Ledger - State orders more sampling at proposed compressor site

Expert Dr. Phil Landrigan on the public health risks of the proposed Weymouth Compressor Station. You can listen to his statement here.

The Boston Globe is seeking letters from the public about their environmental efforts, in celebration of Earth Day. Submit your 200 word letter to letter@globe.com!

Our hearts go out to the family of the deceased. This is happening more and more as construction crews are hitting gas pipelines that are not on dig safe maps. Why? Because the gas companies kept lousy records.

You can read the full story here.

Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility (GBPSR) had an editorial about the compressor station in The Patriot Ledger. Many thanks to the GBPSR for their continued support! It would certainly have been nice if Gov. Baker's "comprehensive" (not) HIA had included actual health data and relied on actual doctors.

Congressman Lynch has introduced a bill to strengthen the federal procedure for pipeline and compressor station approval. Congressman Lynch has been part of this fight for many years and has consistently brought attention to the safety issue. We thank him for his latest efforts on this bill. Please send him your thanks, too! You can read H.R. 2152, the Pipeline and Compressor Safety Verification Act of 2019, here.

Governor Tom Wolf (PA) is under scrutiny after internal government documents, obtained by The Guardian, “raise questions about [his] role in permitting construction of a controversial fossil fuel pipeline that now faces two criminal investigations stemming from widespread environmental and property damage.” (The Guardian)

This explosion was at an oil and gas site in Louisiana. The report states that there weren’t any homes nearby and that no injuries were reported. We are grateful for that. Gov. Baker, are you listening?

You can read more about the story here: KTBS - UPDATE: Natural gas explosion rocks DeSoto Parish

Are you a long-time resident of the Fore River Basin? Do you know anyone in or around the Fore River Basin who has experienced illnesses that could potentially be linked to environmental toxins? We are collecting stories as part of the fight against the compressor station to emphasis the fact that we cannot bare to have anymore toxic facilities in the community. We invite you to attend one of our community meetings to learn more about the project, and to share your story.

Rep. Lynch, who has been a longtime supporter of our campaign to stop the compressor station, recently questioned a panel on pipeline safety. You can view the video here.