There must be something in the water in New England. Today we told you about mass insanity in Bristol, Vermont, and now a story about a small community in nearby Massachusetts that wants to block 2.1 miles of new looping pipeline (buried next to an existing pipeline) in Longmeadow, Mass. All because local fruit loops want to ban new “fossil fuel” infrastructure. Lunacy is breaking out everywhere in New England!
Columbia Gas of Massachusetts (i.e. NiSource) and Holyoke Gas and Electric have requested more natural gas from Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP). They need it, desperately. Kinder Morgan’s solution is to expand the delivery capability of the pipeline in the region by adding a minuscule 2.1 miles of new looping pipeline (buried next to an existing TGP pipe), upgrading a compressor station, and building a new connection, called a delivery gate. It’s a minimal project, and yet last August Massachusetts ruled Kinder will have to conduct a months (years?) long, full-blown environmental impact statement before they can do the work (see Massachusetts Throws Up Roadblocks for Pipeline Expansion).
Opposition to the project is not about true environmental concerns–stuff like moving dirt or air quality. It’s about an irrational, totally-out-of-control hatred of fossil fuels. Collective insanity that runs rampant in Massachusetts:
Citing health, safety and environmental concerns, public officials and residents Wednesday night voiced their opposition to the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company’s plans to expand a natural gas pipeline in Agawam and build a meter transfer station on the Longmeadow Country Club property.
The hearing was facilitated by members of the state Energy Facilities Siting Board and a representative from the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office.
The meter station, proposed in a residential neighborhood near Wolf Swamp Road Middle School, would serve Columbia Gas of Massachusetts and Holyoke Gas and Electric. Both utilities are Tennessee Gas customers.
State Sen. Eric P. Lesser said he’s filed a formal letter of opposition with the Energy Facilities Siting Board and said that after the Merrimack Valley gas explosions last year, residents are right to be concerned.
“Metering stations continually emit methane and other harmful contaminants that contribute to human health risks such as cardiovascular and respiratory disease, fetal/neonatal illness, and brain lesions that cause neurobehavioral abnormalities,” he wrote in a letter to the board, read at the hearing by Michael Clark, a representative from Lesser’s office.
Tennessee Gas has said the expansion and meter station are necessary to meet customer demand. Columbia Gas imposed a moratorium on new service in a number of communities in 2014, citing what it said was insufficient capacity on the south-to-north Northampton Lateral. Holyoke Gas & Electric followed suit with its own moratorium earlier this year.
But both residents and public officials said they want more information from Tennessee Gas demonstrating the need, and Select Board Chairman Mark Gold said he would like to see “timely and accurate communications” about the project.
Columbia Gas has also not provided information about the causes of recent of gas leaks in town, including one last year that affected dozens of households, despite requests from the Select Board, Gold has said at Select Board meetings over the last several months.
Select Board member Thomas Lachiusa said he’d prefer to see investments in renewable energy like solar and wind power rather than building more natural gas infrastructure.
Residents also spoke against the project.
“Natural gas is not the clean or safe fuel we’ve been lead to believe,” said Karen Tallman, a chemistry professor and member of the Longmeadow Pipeline Awareness Group.
Tallman said she’s aware of three gas leaks that have happened in town since January, including one in which the police were called to a friend’s property after a reported leak of gas underground. That person didn’t have gas service at their home — it had migrated and traveled underground to her house, following trench lines.
“What happens if gas travels underground to the school?” said Tallman, who teaches at Asnuntuck Community College.
“I worry that Longmeadow school children … may face a source of danger, one they cannot see or smell,” said Debra Levy. “We need to protect our children until they can advocate for themselves.”
“New fossil fuel infrastructure is immoral at this point in time … the costs are too high,” said Patricia Hawkins of Easthampton, arguing that the pipeline doesn’t fit into the state’s goal of looking to renewable energy sources moving forward.
Numerous residents also pointed to the high rates of asthma in the Pioneer Valley. Elaine Tourtelotte referenced a recent report ranking Springfield as the city with the fifth highest rate of asthma in the country.
Some were concerned “these pollutants will travel through the Pioneer Valley” and make health problems worse, said Chris Tallman.
Communities nearby have echoed similar concerns; the Boards of Health in Longmeadow, Amherst, Chicopee, Holyoke, Northampton, Westfield, West Springfield and Springfield have all requested that the Gov. Charlie Baker stop the expansion of gas pipeline infrastructure until a statewide study on the health effects of natural gas can be conducted.
The metering station could also have impacts on noise levels in the neighborhood, since it would use machines called “pig launchers” — said to be as loud as a Boeing 747 airliner — for cleaning and maintenance, Sen. Lesser said in his letter.
State officials said they’ll send resident comments, both from the hearing and written comments they receive through email and sent to their offices, to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which will review and recommend measures to avoid, minimize or mitigate negative environmental impacts.*
This kind of stuff drives us nuts. Like this statement: “Select Board member Thomas Lachiusa said he’d prefer to see investments in renewable energy like solar and wind power rather than building more natural gas infrastructure.” Hey Select Board member Tommy Lashiusa, we live in a free and open society that operates on CAPITALISM. If YOU want to see more so-called renewable energy sources, YOU have the right to go start a company and try to compete. What you can’t do is prohibit legal, legitimate businesses from operating because you don’t “like it.” That’s called Communism. Fascism. Socialism. That’s not America.
The problem for people like Lachiusa and his ilk is that so-called renewables can’t compete with natural gas. Yet these wizards of smart block new fossil fuel projects. And so what happens is the status quo remains–people keep using fuel oil, or burn wood, or burn coal. Far worse for the precious environment hypocrites like Lachiusa pretend to want to protect. Liars, all.
New England (and New York) are bleeding people like crazy. They are moving away because of lunacy like this. Pretty soon it won’t matter in places like Longmeadow and Massachusetts–there won’t be any natgas demand because there won’t be any people! Problem solved.
*Cambridge (MA) Republican (Mar 28, 2019) – Opponents of Tennessee Gas Pipeline plan speak out at Longmeadow hearing
This post appeared first on Marcellus Drilling News.