MA Senator Michael Barrett owes Weymouth an apology
Channel: FAE - Families Against Enbridge Weymouth
Date: 2018-06-16

I went to Senator Barrett’s office today, June 15th to let him know how I felt about the comments he made on the Senate floor about the amendment and about Weymouth. I wrote this up, and then read it to the legislative aide. She then helpfully found me Sen Barrett’s legal counsel to talk to about why Barrett was worried about the amendment hurting the success of the whole bill (possibly a legitimate concern). Here is what I wrote and read to his aide:
I came to Sen. Barrett’s office today to let him know that some of the things he said during the June 14th session of the senate were not OK.
Sen. Barrett said he hopes the [compressor location] amendment is defeated. His words will be in italics, mine in regular.
I say that with respect to everyone who has spoken. I tip my hat to them but they are dead wrong about the implications here. If the clerk of the Senate can not certify the bill we passed because an element is unconstitutional then the entire piece of legislation dies. This is an up or down vote on the bill we legislated since 11 a.m. That is what's at stake. The amendment has got to be defeated. 
—"This amendment has got to be defeated." If he stopped there, I could see how he could be trying to save the legislation. 
But he went on, *AND* used familiar industry talking points—
This is not just about Weymouth but about every compressor station and about whether constituents stay warm in the winter. 
— it’s about Weymouth, the whole already overburdened Fore River Basin, and all of MA. —
It's a relay station. 
— No, it isn’t. It’s a compressor meant to reverse the flow of gas from the current north-to-south to south-to-north for export —
This isn't a power plant, a smokestack, or belching fumes into the air. 
— It’s not a power plant, correct. It’s not burning coal and making smoke, correct. The compressor would conservatively dump 61,000 tons of pollution into the air yearly. And that’s per Algonquin’s paperwork. It would be extremely toxic to everyone in the Fore River basin—
The pressure has to stay even throughout the system. 
— There is NO system! None. But there will be a big system of pipelines, liquid natural gas storage, and compressors in 24 MA towns IF this compressor goes in at the Weymouth location.—
Over distances the pressure deteriorates and it gets pumped up to get gas to your constituents houses. 
— Sorry to inform Sen. Barrett but by Algonquin’s numbers MA will get maybe 19% of the gas flowing through the proposed compressor. The rest will flow to the Bear Head LNG plant in Nova Scotia to made into liquid natural gas to be shipped to overseas markets—
It's absurd what we are proposing to do. 
— No. It’s not. Havs Sen. Barrett ever seen a 7700hp compressor? Heard one? Smelled one? Has Sen. Barrett given a thought to where the gas would be coming from to flow through that compressor? It’d come from PA. Does Sen. Barrett know what’s happened because of fracking in PA in the past 10 years? Does Sen. Barrett know how bad things are for Marcellus Shale residents and how much worse it can get if we pull more gas from their land? I do. I’ve gone to PA talked to residents of many townships and they are desperately fighting for the health of themselves their families and their land. Senator Barrett’s comments expose a deep lack of knowledge about the very things he claims to fight. —
It's NIMBYism at its worst. 
— No it’s not. We don’t want it in anyone’s backyard—
This is out of control.” (end transcript)
—WHAT? Sen Barrett has, with one sentence, derided 3.5 years of time consuming, money consuming advocacy to fight one of the worst sites ever proposed for a compressor station. 
Are we out of control?
Sen Barrett insults and hurts those of us who fight this project every day of our lives. 
I took my lunch hour and sat for 82 days in Gov. Baker’s office to get him to take action on the compressor. 
Was I, am I out of control?
No site in the United States has ever been proposed that is been so densely populated and is on such a small patch of land. If this compressor were to go in, it would set a precedent that would apply across the United States: anyone could have a huge compressor (or two!) within 610 feet of their home or business. 
THIS is why we fight.
What’s at stake here is not just Weymouth: it’s EVERYONE up and down the line from this proposed compressor project. 
I expect more from Massachusetts, I expect more from my governor, and I certainly expect more from our Senators, especially those Senators whose main aim seems to be protecting the environment. 
I expect better than gas industry talking points coming out of Senator Barrett’s mouth. It’s disgraceful and he owes Weymouth (and beyond) an apology. There may be no way I can really get this through to Sen Barrett other than to say I hope his town doesn’t have to deal with what Weymouth is dealing with. —