Small win today! Enbridge had planned to put their compressor station into service today, October 1, but has since delayed their plans due to two recent safety issues involving emergency shutdowns. PHMSA (Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration) issued a stay on operations until a safety investigation has been completed.

Well, look at what you can dig up if you keep digging! Kudos to Anita of Braintree for finding this little gem. Seems in 2008 that there was a conference about siting renewable energy projects--and the idiots in charge considered gas to be renewable--on CONTAMINATED sites. And guess who was in attendance at this little confab? Our friend Thomas Cushing of the DEP. You know, the guy who approved the air quality permit.

Nothing to see here. Move along. You are too stupid to understand what we are doing, says Enbridge. Not operational, two accidents in two weeks--but FERC says go ahead and fully operate TOMORROW. And, where is PHMSA? Where is FERC? Where is our local emergency management system?

WBUR - Second 'Unplanned' Gas Release At Weymouth Compressor This Month (link)

Many thanks to Congressman Lynch for alerting us. The community didn’t even know.

Senators Markey and Warren sent a letter to PHMSA (Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration), urging them to shut down activities and to investigate the emergency shut down that occurred on September 11. We thanks Senators Markey and Warren for continuing to advocate on behalf of the residents of the South Shore. You can read their press release and letter to PHMSA below.

Back in June, the First Circuit Court vacated Enbridge’s air quality permit, stating that Enbridge had not properly reviewed the BACT (best available control technology) analysis for a gas vs. electric turbine for the compressor station. (You can read the First Circuit court’s June 3 decision here.) An electric turbine would be better than a gas turbine, but Enbridge did not do the proper analysis on this during during the application process. The First Circuit handed the issue off to DEP to review and make a decision on. Well, the DEP’s decision is in, and as you may have guessed, they gave Enbridge the go-ahead on the BACT and is saying that the gas turbine is fine with them. We aren’t surprised, but we are disappointed.

Action Item: Call Gary Moran at DEP to report toxic exhaust, loud sounds, and strong odors at the site -- 617-292-5775

Yesterday we posted a photo of some alarming brown exhaust gas blowing from one of the stacks at Enbridge's compressor station. What is this stuff?? Well, whatever it is, it's not good. We've already received reports of eye irritation, difficulty breathing, strong odors, loud sounds, and light pollution.

FERC announced their decision today to grant full operation to Enbridge for the Weymouth compressor station. Though we are disappointed by their decision, we are not surprised. FERC has long been a rubber stamp agency enabling the fossil fuel industry to destroy communities and, ultimately, the planet.

The Fore River Residents are disappointed but not at all surprised by FERC's decision today to grant full operation to Algonquin for Weymouth compressor station. FERC has long been a rubber stamp agency enabling the fossil fuel industry to destroy communities and, ultimately, the planet. FRRACS will continue to fight, through all means available, the operation of this monster in our midst until it is shut down. We have every intention of making it, as Mayor Hedlund says, a $100M White Elephant--a monument to the hubris of Enbridge.

Well, Campers, in a not at all surprising move, FERC just rubber stamped Algonquin's demand to begin shipping gas on October 1. All on a day when 3 witnesses saw the smoke coming out of the stack.

Stay tuned-- we'll have actions soon!

Senator Patrick O’Connor sent letters to Attorney General Maura Healey and the and EEA Secretary on behalf of the Fore River Basin Delegation, requesting a halt to activities due to recent safety issues.

Many thanks to Senators O”Connor, Keenan and Timilty and Representatives Mariano, Cusack, Murphy, Meschino, and Ayers for their continued advocacy.

As we are trying very hard to stay on top of all of the fracked gas venting going on at the failed compressor station, we want you to know--and we apologize for the late notice--that the major blowdown of 265,000 standard cubic feet of this nasty methane and all of the toxins it carries with it will be tomorrow "around" 2:00 PM. Enbridge will not give us the courtesy of a two hour window or anything exact, but this was what was told to a FRRACS' member today. Go here for the letter to the Town sent last Friday with the specifics.

We have submitted a letter on the FERC docket, demanding that they refuse Enbridge's request to place the facility in-service. You can read the letter here and below.

Samantha Phillips is the head of the Mass Emergency Management Agency. MEMA is the agency that SHOULD have paid a lot more attention to the siting of this compressor station. They have failed us as a region by ignoring all of the safety issues we have brought up for almost six years. They have failed to provide even the most basic safety and evacuation plans for the residents of the Basin.

We are counting on you to call Ms. Phillips at 508-820-2010 or Tweet to her @MassEMA

Health Impact Assessment Community Advisory Committee addresses MAPC audit

Members of the Advisory Committee disappointed with MAPC audit

Weymouth, MA—Members of the Community Advisory Committee have reviewed the audit performed by Public Health by Design for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) released on Monday September 14, 2020 in regards to the Health Impact Assessment (HIA) of the Weymouth compressor station published in January of 2019. This audit was precipitated by public scrutiny and outcry after the original release of the HIA. The public criticism of the HIA is borne out by the audit findings.

With the recent accident at the compressor station, we know that you are all very anxious. We find that the best cure for anxiety is to have a plan. In this case, in order to have a plan, you will need to have some emergency numbers in your tool kit, and we are happy to give you a few right now.

Please put these into your cell phone, computer, or just tack them up on a wall near a phone--whatever works best for you! We are beginning with local numbers and moving on to Enbridge and State numbers, depending on what the situation is.

Well, Campers, we hate to say we told you so....but, we told you so. The MAPC released the audit findings on the Health Impact Assessment today. It isn't pretty. Reader's Digest version? Baker limited the scope, didn't give them enough money, and didn't give them enough time. Surprisingly, the two agencies that did the most damage--the DEP and the DPH--refused to be interviewed by the auditors. Color us shocked. So, you aren't crazy, Friends, the HIA really was terrible and you are not to blame for the health problems created by a DEP and a DPH who care nothing about your environment or your health. Read the report. It's worth the time.

Many thanks to Congressman Lynch for demanding that the DOT stop the operating of the compressor station and perform a risk and safety assessment. Something that should have been done over 5 years ago.

At around 9:00 AM today, Enbridge had a systems failure that forced the Emergency Shut Down System (ESD) to be manually tripped by the workers. A gasket on a pump in the one of the separators failed and, as a result, 265,000 standard cubic feet (scf) and 35 pounds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were released at ground level. The release of this level of gas at ground level could have caused a massive fire or explosion. Had the workers not been in the area, we can only conjecture what might have happened. You can read a little bit about the incident here and there is a link to the letter that Enbridge had to file with the Department of Environmental Protection in the article. The DEP then notified the Town.

Below is a summary of the upcoming events and deadlines across the various ongoing appeals:

It's been a long couple of weeks, and if you're anything like us, you're tired and aggravated. We hear you and feel the pain with you. We hope that you had a bit of a chance to relax over the long Labor Day Weekend and that maybe you even got to see--socially distancing, of course--family and friends. We hope that, physically and mentally, you got some rest.

But, here we are, back to work after a rather strange summer. Here are a few things that you can do to keep the pressure on Enbridge