I take issue with the headline “In pipeline fight, US mostly wins” (Business, Oct. 2). In this fight, only the gas company wins.
Major gas pipelines are destructive of the landscape, requiring the clearing of 100-foot swaths, and the frequent compressor stations that are required are noisy and emit noxious fumes.
Massachusetts has seen unprecedented opposition to the proposed Spectra Energy and Kinder Morgan projects, with hundreds of people attending public hearings. A dedicated group from throughout the Northeast identified years ago that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission permits virtually every project that it reviews, and this group has been demonstrating outside FERC in Washington and attending commission meetings.
Last month, this courageous group gathered outside the agency’s office for 18 days for a water-only fast to demonstrate their level of concern for FERC’s destructive practices, which give little consideration to the voices of communities and largely ignore whether the gas is needed.
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It is commonly believed in the industry that most of the gas flowing into New England will be exported through Canada. FERC’s power of eminent domain destroys homes, communities, and landscapes — indeed, the planet. We must work with our elected officials to make it clear to the agency that the price for its relentless approvals is too high.