2023-Sierran-digital - Flipbook - Page 9
Putting Gas In The Past
By Ella Nguyen, Allyson Samuell, and Jess Nahigian
The 昀椀ght to stop a proposed fracked gas pipeline in
Spring昀椀eld and Longmeadow has not only captured the
attention of local residents, but as of October 2023,
8,000 people from all over the state of Massachusetts
have signed our petition saying “no” to new gas
infrastructure.
Stopping the continued expansion of our gas system
is critical for our climate and our health. In 2022, the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s report
called rapid and decisive action to slash methane
pollution “essential” in successfully limiting warming.
During the 20 years after its release, methane is 80
times more powerful than carbon dioxide in trapping
heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, making it the second
most important greenhouse gas in global warming. In
addition to its climate hazards, gas is dangerous to our
health. A study found gas stoves are responsible for an
estimated 15.4% of childhood asthma in Massachusetts.
Photo: Rene Theberge
Various new gas infrastructure projects have been
proposed in the Massachusetts region over the
last decade. After activists successfully blocked a
Kinder Morgan Northeast Energy Direct pipeline
in 2016, which planned compressor stations in the
Massachusetts towns of Windsor, North昀椀eld and
Dracut, and a devastating gas explosion forced
Columbia Gas to fold in 2018, advocates thought
the 昀椀ght was over. But in 2021, Eversource revived
Columbia’s abandoned proposal by announcing it
intended to move forward with a pipeline through
Longmeadow and Spring昀椀eld.
The Spring昀椀eld community already suffers from a high
rate of asthma, so residents were quick to oppose
the project when thinking of the people’s health.
The Spring昀椀eld Climate Justice Coalition (SCJC) and
members of the community quickly began to organize
against the pipeline, partnering with neighboring
Longmeadow residents and activists from across the
state.
Stopping a pipeline with community opposition alone is
challenging, so SCJC and other partners started to look
to state leadership to help them oppose this project.
Such efforts led to the proposal of asking the Governor
to issue a moratorium on all new gas infrastructure
expansions in Massachusetts. Spring昀椀eld resident,
Naia Tenerowicz, and Susan Theberge (resident of a
neighboring town) said that they realized that with
this strategy, they were not just helping Spring昀椀eld
residents, but they were helping residents from cities
and towns all over the state who might be facing a
similar pipeline proposal at some point.
These organizers are asking Governor Healey for
a temporary halt to the development of new gas
infrastructure (like a pipeline) in order to give the state
a chance to map out their plans for a transition to clean
energy. This is an important way to avoid the costly new
gas infrastructure that ratepayers are stuck paying for.
It is essential to note that this temporary halt to new
gas infrastructure would not prevent a homeowner or
business from connecting to an existing gas line. If the
gas is already there, it is allowed to connect. A host of
statewide organizations, including the Sierra Club, are
supporting these efforts. The goal of this campaign is to
prevent new large-scale infrastructure from being built
before the state has a clear plan for a clean renewable
energy future.
Susan and Naia shared that a moratorium on new gas
infrastructure will be “setting a precedent for state
policy like this happening in other parts of the country.
This will trigger a larger ripple effect when we’re
successful.”
Photo: Mothers Out Front Boston
Be a part of these efforts by joining our energy justice organizing team:
https://www.sierraclub.org/massachusetts/ejot
9
