Pipeline opponents to march through Canton July 15

From July 14-18, hundreds of Massachusetts residents will be marching along the routes of Spectra Energy’s proposed gas pipeline projects all the way to the steps of the Massachusetts State House.

The People Over Pipelines March, organized by 350 Massachusetts for a Better Future, will travel 43 miles in all and aims to send a clear message to the state’s elected officials that the people of Massachusetts are “ready to do whatever they can to stop any new and unnecessary fossil fuel infrastructure.”

The march protesting the Access Northeast Q1 Loop — which calls for 22 miles of new 30-inch pipe — will begin in Medway on Thursday, July 14, and go through Canton in the afternoon on Friday, July 15. The public is encouraged to show their support at the stops and the rallies and all along the route as the marchers pass, and anyone is welcome to join the march for whatever distance they can.

The Canton portion of the march will start on Rebecca Road, proceed right onto Walford Park Drive, left onto Pleasant Street, and left onto Sherman Street up to Washington Street for a rest and refreshment stop and rally at the Canton Public Library at about 1:45 p.m. The march will then continue west on Sherman Street, across Canton Junction to Wattles Street, left on Chapman Street, right on White Sisters Way, left on Pear Tree Drive, right on Neponset Street, and bearing left on Nahantan Street to Norwood Center for dinner and an overnight stay.

The developers of the Access Northeast Project, which is slated to travel through Canton parallel to an existing 24-inch Algonquin Gas Transmission line, maintain that the new pipelines will lead to lower electricity prices and increased electric reliability in the region. A growing chorus of opponents, however, foresee a project full of unnecessary risks — for the environment, for the electricity ratepayers, and for the health and safety of citizens in the affected communities.

Opponents remain particularly concerned about a proposed tariff, backed by Governor Charlie Baker but fiercely opposed by Attorney General Maura Healey, that would have Massachusetts ratepayers funding the pipeline construction costs. There are also concerns about pipeline leaks as well as the processes used to extract the gas — hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” of shale rock.

The opposition side appears to have been gaining momentum in recent months and they continue to draw inspiration from similar groups, including those in the northern part of the state that had a hand in stopping a $3.3 billion expansion plan by Kinder Morgan.

For more information about the People Over Pipelines March, including route details and a complete schedule of events, go to www.peopleoverpipelines.org.

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Posted by Canton Citizen on Jul 7 2016. Filed under News. Both comments and pings are currently closed.