Above photo from Rising Tide Vermont in EarthFirst! Jourrnal
Just Power and friends put governor on notice.
Vermont – Vermonters from 80 towns and cities across the state signed a letter requesting that Governor Shumlin take facts into account as the state re-evaluates the future of the fracked gas pipeline expansion. In the wake of the cancellation of Phase 2 of the pipeline by Vermont Gas Systems, the Governor reaffirmed his support for Phase 1 even though the case is about to be re-opened by the Public Service Board due to uncontrolled escalation of the proposed project’s costs.
The letter included a stack of 15 articles, studies, and reports on the safety of gas pipelines, the climate impacts of using fracked natural gas, and the negative economic impacts of gas pipelines. “We’ve found that the Administration just isn’t up on the latest news or science on the oil and gas industry,” said Jane Palmer, an affected landowner from Monkton. “The Department of Public Service has always accepted VGS’ statements and claims as fact, which has hampered the Public Service Board’s ability to truly evaluate VGS proposals. The Administration should at least be equipped to do the research and analysis necessary to make informed decisions.”
Amid VGS’ relentless obfuscation of the costs, and the realization that those costs—financial and environmental—will fall squarely on Vermonters, opposition to the project has been growing steadily. Over 95 percent of the signers do not live on the proposed pipeline route. People as far from the route as Alburg and Enosburg in the north, and Arlington and Brattleboro in the south, and Hartland and Barnet in the east, signed the letter to the Governor.
Signers said they expect the Governor to stop trying to influence the process by taking a public stand in advance of the Board’s re-evaluation of the increasingly expensive and risky project. “Facts lead to the undeniable conclusion that building more fossil fuel infrastructure in 2015 is irresponsible madness,” said Brian Tokar, director of the Institute for Social Ecology and a member of 350Vermont’s board who lives in East Montpelier.
“We do not have a communications department, an advertising budget, an army of lawyers, or the money to pay industry consultants to make our positions appear what they are not,” reads the letter. “We have, however, the power of people.” The letter was signed by “Just Power and its friends,” with the name of each signer included.
Just Power is a grassroots organization based in Addison and Chittenden counties that is committed to building prosperity in Vermont through a fair and just energy future, which begins by preventing the construction of the proposed gas pipeline expansion through the state.
###
Contact:
Rebecca Foster, Just Power
carpegreenum@gmail.com