Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP), owned by Kinder-Morgan LLC, wants to construct a pipeline carrying fracked natural gas, mined from unconventional gas wells in Pennsylvania and surrounding areas. The project is known as the “Northeast Expansion” and would consist of a 30″ – 36″ pipeline in a 50 ft. right-of-way running between New York State to Dracut MA. It would go through several towns in Berkshire, Franklin, and Worcester counties.
After planning meetings on March 11 and April 8th, local citizens formed working groups and signed up to work on various activities in opposition to this project. Following the April 16th Public Forum mentioned below, there will be another meeting on April 30 at the Athol Town Hall, 7 p.m.
Bruce Winn from the Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) will give an informational talk on Wed., April 16th at 7 p.m. at the Athol Town Hall (584 Main St., Athol, MA)
This will be a slide presentation on the natural gas pipeline proposed by the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. of Kinder Morgan. Bruce will address environmental and health issues as well as economic and regulatory ones. This pipeline is in the planning stages. The plan now is to have it go across western and northern Massachusetts. This includes many North Quabbin towns. A question and answer period will follow the slideshow and talk.
Other News from No. Quabbin Towns —
March 26, 2014 — Warwick Selectboard Votes to Rescind Permission to Survey Town Owned Land —The Warwick Selectboard voted on Wednesday to rescind permission to survey town-owned lands. The motion passed unanimously, 3-0. Before the vote there was a lively and lengthy joint meeting of the Select Board and Planning Board. The Selectboard also voted to support Mass Land Trust Coalition letter to the governor. See Greenfield Recorder article on Warwick pulls support for pipeline
A Note of Interest — Kinder-Morgan contacted the No. Quabbin Chamber of Commerce about giving a public presentation about the proposed pipeline in Athol sometime later in the spring. (Details to follow.)
For other events and Resources:
www.nofrackedgasinmass.org from BEAT in Cummington
www.massplan.org Massachusetts Pipeline Awareness Network
www.everyonesbackyard.org from Ashburnham
www.nomasspipeline.com from Fitchburg
If you haven’t yet seen Gasland II by all means watch it to learn about hydraulic fracturing and what is going on at the other end of this proposed pipeline. It is available from NetFlix and can be shown publicly for free.