Weymouth Compressor Station - what’s happening & what you can do to stop it:
Following the leadership of the local community group Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station (FRRACS), we demand that construction on the Weymouth Compressor Station be permanently halted. Paid for by the gas company Enbridge, this compressor station will connect pipelines bringing fracked gas from Pennsylvania to Canada for export outside of the United States. This project has never been essential for Massachusetts residents, and definitely is not essential to build now during a pandemic.
The Weymouth Compressor Station is being constructed in the Fore River Basin, home to thousands of people. It already has industrial facilities, including a sludge pelletizing plant, a gas power plant, an oil and gas depot, and a biofuel refinery. This area includes two environmental justice communities (areas of lower income or larger populations of minority groups where industrial projects are more likely to be built): Quincy Point and Germantown. The surrounding community has been fighting this project for years, yet the state of Massachusetts has chosen to ignore them and the science and give Enbridge permits for construction. Construction began in late 2019. Find out more about the Weymouth Compressor Station and the community fight against it.
Then came COVID-19. These community members are at higher risk of catching the virus because of existing environmental pollution that affects their health. The construction workers on the site are putting the community at further risk, and are at risk themselves. The workers do not have an option, but their employer should be held to the same expectations as all other employers right now to prioritize the health of their employees and the public.
Governor Baker put out vague restrictions on what construction is deemed essential during the lockdown, including the Weymouth Compressor. Lives are being threatened by this choice and it cannot go on any longer.
Link to weekly action guide: bit.ly/NotEssential