Stanley Rosenberg (Republican File)
Senate President Stanley Rosenberg, D-Amherst, said Tuesday he will travel to Washington to hand-deliver testimony gathered from Massachusetts residents on Kinder Morgan’s proposed Northeast Energy Direct natural gas pipeline.
Rosenberg said he will meet with Federal Energy Regulatory Commissioner Cheryl LaFleur on Sept. 30.
“I can’t think of anyone better to speak with about the proposed Kinder Morgan pipeline, the concerns of western Massachusetts residents, and energy policy in general. I certainly appreciate her willingness to meet with me,” Rosenberg said in a statement.
The public testimony will be that delivered at a Sept. 10 session at Greenfield Community College. Rosenberg organized the public hearing after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission refused to reschedule its own session concerning the environmental impact of the pipeline.
The July 29 Franklin County FERC session, where more than 100 people testified, was held only five days after Kinder Morgan released more than 6,500 pages of environmental data on the project. At the time, Rosenberg said FERC did not allow affected parties enough time to prepare meaningful input on the pipeline’s impact.
While Rosenberg has not taken a position on the pipeline, he has said he wants to ensure a “credible and respected regulatory process.”
Rosenberg’s public comment format will be the same used by FERC, with three minutes allotted to each speaker. Rosenberg has encouraged participants to submit written testimony on geology and soils; water resources and wetlands; vegetation and wildlife; cultural resources; land use, recreation and visual resources; socioeconomics; air quality and noise; cumulative impacts; and public safety.
“FERC officials have stated that comments on these topics will have the most influence on their Environmental Impact Statement,” Rosenberg said. “FERC has agreed to accept the testimony we collect on September 10, and I am looking forward to delivering it on September 30.”
FERC will use the testimony to determine what it considers in its upcoming Environmental Impact Statement on the pipeline. The environmental analysis is required under the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA.
FERC, which has the final say over whether the pipeline gets built, had initially said its deadline for accepting public comment on the scope of its environmental review would be Aug. 31.
On Tuesday, Rosenberg praised LaFleur, saying the Massachusetts native “is known for her emphasis on developing a diverse power supply for our nation, which includes alternative energy sources.”