Declaration of Opposition

No one knows the connection between environment, economy and quality of life than farmers. Here is a Declaration of Opposition that farmers can sign, or people who purchase directly from a farm, can sign to speak on behalf of that piece of land. Feel free to print out and circulate. Send signed declarations to Pat Stewart, 18 Kraetzer Road, Ashburnham, MA 01430

There is also a MoveOn.org petition, but this is much more detailed and makes our point more completely.  You can see that at http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/declaration-of-opposition?source=c.fwd&r_by=2226308

DECLARATION OF OPPOSITION TO PIPELINE EXPANSION
We, the undersigned, declare our opposition to the expansion of energy infrastructure that transports non-renewable fossil fuels through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. We object to this expansion on behalf of the land, food, water and livestock that are endangered by this short-sighted practice. Our objections are based upon the following:
a) Blasts will shatter rock that forms barriers that hold and our aquifers. These aquifers feed our wells, natural ponds and municipal water supplies, which provide water for our animals, crops, families and communities.
b) Local food is a critical part of growing a health Massachusetts and local economy. Pipelines crossing our farms, neighboring farms and bounding wetlands endanger our ability to provide food for the citizenry of the Commonwealth.
c) The construction of these pipelines will remove significant land from production, not only the pipeline proper, but also the access roads that will allow heavy equipment onto the pipeline the heavy equipment entering on the rights-of-way will compact our soil, making it more subject to erosion, and more difficult to grow crops and use for pasture. We will still be responsible for payment of taxes on this land, whether or not we can use it.
1.) The inability to use this land for food or timber production takes it out of production, removing it from Chapter 61 protection.
2.) For those of us with Agriculture Preservation Restriction (APR) land, this violates our contract with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, violating M.G.L. Chapter 184, Section 32.The movement of the heavy equipment will damage the air quality and leave residue on plants and could disqualify any organic farms from certification. In addition, the application of herbicide that may be applied, directly or aerially, would certainly endanger any certification, due to wind drift and water runoff.
d) This same heavy equipment emits substantial noise in its activity. These sounds will frighten livestock and wildlife, causing loss of production and increased predation. Animals that are stressed, including by being exposed to constant loud noises, shaking of the earth and looming machinery, do not conceive, do not eat, drop milk production and produce lower quality products, from milk to meat, due to stress hormones. Increased predation will lower the ability of farms to maximize their food and products, and lose valuable livestock to death, as predators are pushed out of their native habitat where they would normally find abundant small wildlife to meet their dietary needs.
e) The herbicides, deforestation and lack of productive land will further deteriorate the region's honeybee population. The toxins will poison, while the lack of pollen from wild and cultivated plants will put added stress on these endangered insect. The financial as well as environmental costs of this disruption would be devastating to the apiculture industry. A threat to the honeybees is a threat to our food production.
f) Locally raised food, whether raised conventionally, sustainably or organically, provides fresher, superior food to that which is trucked in from anywhere else in the world. Our growing small farm population will be impacted severely by this project, as well as our long standing and centennial farms.
g) Keeping local food available makes it more affordable, which benefits all of our population. Fresher food has more vitamins and minerals, stronger flavor, and diminishes the need for preservatives and other chemical additives in a family’s diet. We must keep local farms nearby and productive, and not lose them to a product that does nothing to improve our regional or national environment.
h) The loss of trees cut in timber cuts, or the loss of cropland, will increase erosion, degrading our regional infrastructure, and further degrade natural water ways.
i) Farms not only provide food, but they provide an integral part of our culture, teaching vital traits such as patience, hard-work and empathy. The loss of any of these teaching facilities can have long lasting effects on our regional culture.
Massachusetts is a Right-to-Farm state, recognizing the Constitutional right for individuals to raise their own food and to provide food/fiber to the greater market. Once these farms are lost, they will not be able to be re-established, and the damage to the air, water and soil cannot be repaired.
As there are alternative means to provide the needed energy for the growth of the Commonwealth through such as means as conservation, solar, wind and as yet undeveloped water and other alternative energy sources, there is no need to take the risk of permanently damaging the food supply and lifestyle of the farmers and farm communities in Massachusetts.
We therefore respectfully demand that all governmental entities deny any permission to proceed with fossil fuel expansion, and begin to plan for the future with the farms, land and the people in mind, rather than short term gains for others.

Thank you! 

Vote for the Environment

Growing up I never really thought much about how politics and the environment intersected. I knew that my passion for the environment was never even considered by most politicians, and that those who did “get it,” were scoffed at for being “Tree Huggers.” To me that was a badge of honor, because I have hugged more than my fair share of trees in teaching kids to use other senses than their vision.

Now that I’m older I see a connection that I was oblivious to before. It is in corporate interest to keep people distracted with fancy watches and clothing so the public doesn’t think about where those items are made, what’s done with the leftovers, the packaging and the broken item. It’s also been in their best interest to make sure that the people who vote see the pretty package, appreciate the convenience and money, and don’t want to be given a “downer,” by thinking about the consequences.

This coming election it’s crucial that we engage ourselves, neighbors and family, along with any others we can, to use the power of the vote to protect our home planet. It’s not only about having a chance to contribute. Now it’s about self-preservation. Citizens who can vote need to engage in conversations with their elected officials, explaining their concerns about the pipeline, alternative energy, food safety, and climate change. Not voting doesn’t show your frustration, or your disapproval. It just shows you don’t care. Not voting amplifies the voices of the corporations, as their purchased candidate doesn’t have to explain their stance to a face. They can continue to spout the misinformation that they hear because they have been saved from that face to face confrontation.
In the upcoming election we will hear a lot about the economy, which we’ve all been condition to consider as paramount. Being poor is not pleasant, I know, I’m basically still there. But having no air to breathe, no water to drink, is a death sentence, with no hope of climbing out of that well. Environmental justice is usually considered to be about the urban poor, dumping chemicals in low rent areas, because “those people,” of no concern to any of the corporate officials. Efforts are constantly made to lessen the voices of those people who live in these areas, so that “out of sight, out of voice means doesn’t exist.”

They do exist, and because of the concentration of wealth, the consumerism of our economy and the consolidation of our media, the numbers of “unheard,” is growing. Everyone has a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, according to our founding fathers. It doesn’t state “those who live off dividends, play at country clubs and support the arts are entitled to happiness.” But that is how our government is starting to skew.

Environmental justice is everyone’s concern. Through television and other media forms, rural areas are now being portrayed as backwater, “hinterlands,” where only un-educated, socially awkward people live. A rural suburb is fine, but a true rural area is disposable. That’s been made obvious by Kinder-Morgan’s choice in this NED pipeline route. The public comment made at an earlier meeting referring to our region is “North Korea,” is an obvious statement as to their concern for the people here.
We need to exercise our voices. We need to make sure that future elected officials firmly state that they hear our concerns and will act on them in an appropriate way. Moving the pipeline isn’t the answer. Not having the pipeline is. Our elected officials should owe their positions and power to the people who voted to put them there, not the lobbyists and corporate backers who paid for them to be there. Call your representatives, attorney general, senator, even town officials and tell them that our region is not inconsequential. Remind them that environmental justice is critical; rich isn’t more important that poor, urban is not more important than rural.

The older I get the more I see that agriculture, food and the environment are forgotten when making decisions. We let people tell us that air, water and food are not as important as jobs, and money, when reality is that jobs and money can be sourced elsewhere, but we can’t make clean air, clean water or safe food if we lose the areas that protect and produce it.

We don’t just need to get people to vote with their environment. We need to wake up the citizenry to vote, and make their opinions known to those who are elected. People need to relearn how to work together, how to protect and promote the resources we have to provide for our families. I’ve come to believe that there is a direct correlation between voter turn out and corporate domination. The more self-involved we become as a population, the richer the 1% gets, and the more our resources, both financial and natural, are lost to our control. Vote for the environment, and vote for your own self-interest!

Important Homes

Why are some houses more important than others? I understand that buildings that house many different families have a higher impact when it comes to destruction and personal loss. But in the natural gas planning process certain areas are identified High Consequence Areas, meaning that those areas that have the densest population receive the highest attention, and the greatest protection. That makes sense, but does it mean that other areas should receive inferior protection?

High Consequence Areas, referred to as HCA’s, include areas of dense population, areas that include water supplies and those of unique environmental importance. These areas are deemed “more important,” and are scheduled to receive the highest quality pipes, equipment and attention. But I put to the appropriate authorities, where do they think the water supply comes from?

Reservoirs and water tanks do not usually include underwater springs, though ours in Ashburnham does. For most cities and towns, including the metro-Boston area, their water supply comes from rivers and watersheds many miles away. In fact, for Lowell, the Quabbin Reservoir cities, Wachusett Reservoir towns, and others in New England, the water in their municipal water supplies come from the “rural areas” north and west of Boston. The concept of “crucial water supply,” needs to be more correct than simply a water tower or a reservoir. Our homes, those of the “Blasted Towns,” are just as vital as urban areas, though our density may be sparser.

In the national news we hear repeatedly about how many homes are lost during wildfire seasons, and while these are terribly sad losses, these are people who knew they lived in a place subject to wildfires. I grew up in the Midwest, so I knew that tornadoes were a risk for me. For those who choose to live in the Mississippi River bottom land, they should know that they are living on an active floodplain. That’s why those who farmed there before them usually used the land for crops or livestock, but kept their houses on higher ground. But the current need for “waterfront property,” has gotten in the way of realism. With the current rise in floods and storms, these people are having to make adjustments to include the realities of nature.

But for those of us in the Blasted Towns we built or bought our homes wishing to live in a more rural area. Not because we’re anti-social, but because we appreciate the gifts of the land, and the sense of community that is often found in these smaller towns. We did not buy, or build, with the idea that the land we struggle to grow things in would be blown out from under us, by an energy company who wants to avoid denser population while they raise more millions of dollars selling natural gas overseas.

Why is it okay for a company in Texas to come into another area and destroy the natural resources of those areas, so that they can profit off the natural resources of another place? Isn’t it time we started valuing and using the resources we have nearby our homes and workplaces, instead of trying to move things around to such detriment? Our forefathers chose to settle in certain areas because there was adequate energy, water and food supply, and they carved out shelter where they could. While I’m not suggesting that people in the Midwest go back to sod houses, we do need to start living within the natural rules of the planet.
The truth is that there is no place that is of less or more significant than any other place. No people, no wildlife, no water is dispensable. The Dept. of Transportation explains HAC’s on their website, but the reality of those statements are that they deem some places more disposable than others.

As we are learning more every day, our planet is getting smaller, and more sickly. While the media and others focus on the economy, the reality is that money won’t make more water, won’t grow trees back to filter soil quickly enough, or replace the lost soil in even an elephant’s lifetime. We don’t have time to wait for others to learn. We need everyone to understand now – The water and air belong to the planet, and they should not go to the highest bidder, or densest population. There is enough, with care, to be shared evenly, but not if we continue to let the energy companies continue to write the rules, run the airwaves and be flexible with the truth.

If you hear about a “cleaner fuel” called gas, or natural gas, please realize that it comes from underground, and it is best left there. It is like methadone for a fossil-fuel addicted planet. It doesn’t solve the problem, it just replaces it with another.
No person’s home is more important than any others. No animal or plant is more important than another. It’s time we accept that there are three kingdoms on Earth, and they aren’t found in atlases. They are plants, animals and protists, not Kinder Morgan, BP and Exxon. Stand with your neighbors, of all species, and protect your home by working to stop energy expansion and promote renewable energy, personal conservation and industry responsibility for maintenance. That is within our power, the kind of power that is endless, and renewable!

Goats and Gas, Kind Of

I learned today about a new blog, NPR’s “Goats and Soda,” which gives details about growing health emergencies in emerging countries. I love the name, partly because I raise goats. But also, I love the image that it conjures in my head – choices. Goats symbolize existence – able to find food where others can’t; able to carry a load, or give a kiss when it’s needed; willing to share their milk so a friend can survive, and able to provide food to a human friend if that is what it costs. That is a truly noble animal.

Then there’s soda. I must confess here that I was basically raised on soda. It was, and still is, my preferred drink, only because I am so addicted to the caffeine. Even my doctor has said “Just try to cut back, the headache isn’t worth the benefits.” But I know that’s frivolous. I hate that Coca-Cola owns more water in Africa than any public water district there. I know that the sugar or other sweeteners are disguises for the acids, preservatives and other evil things in that potion. I know that the Coke that I used to love to drink I once used to remove rust from an old tricycle.

How does this relate to our Blasted Towns? Because so many of our neighbor are focused on the “coke,” of energy – the pipeline that promises jobs, like those sodas that lace their preservatives with a little juice. Those people who think ‘new’ is better than ‘tried and true.’ Because people will believe the advertising tripe about “bridge fuels,” and “cleaner,” over the basic truth. That truth is that calories count, whether they are sugar or mega=calories from megawatts. We have it in our power to live comfortably with existing technology, reasonable conservation methods and corporate responsibility.

Keeping warm is crucial to survival, but so is breathing, drinking safe water, and having healthy food to eat. Local farms, like those with goats, are cleaner sources for food from a carbon efficiency standpoint. In New England, they are less likely to be heavily treated with industrial chemicals because the scale of our farms is much smaller than in other parts of the country. More of our farms are sustainable, much like the goat, which yields tastier, safer, accessible food that will disappear if we have this pipeline come through our towns. Isn’t it better to have the source of our energy/food nearby, like the sun, wind, wood, local farms than to have to rely on someone to process it, transport it, and then pump it right past us on the way to another country? That’s like being passed up by the waitress while you wait at the bar for that soda.

Really? No one is perfect, and each of us has our vices. But those vices should only affect us individually, not our neighbors, or our descendants. My habit hopefully is counteracted by the good that I try to do with my goats, my work, this blog. If we are going to stop this pipeline we have to show people that they lose choices, personal power, quality of life, as well as potential water and food quality, if they allow this pipeline to come through. Is it really “for the greater good,” to give someone else the power to alter our survival resources? How is it for the “greater good,” if we receive none of the benefits, but lose many of our inherent rights to a healthy environment by allowing this pipeline to come through?

“Goats and Soda,” is a great dichotomy to make people think about survival. “Safety or Gas,” isn’t as catchy, but it comes down to the similar issues. We need to fight for our own water, food, air, and communities, and illustrate to those who only care about their ‘cheap energy,’ that it isn’t cheap, it won’t be “theirs,” and they will suffer the consequences in other ways. We can be the “herd queen,” that leads the herd to safety, or we can be the “bellwether,” that tells the predators where the sacrificial kids are. Which do you want to be?

Think for Yourself! Then Find Those Who Can Teach You!

As our nation experiences weather like we’ve not seen in recorded history, tremors and sinkholes are popping everywhere, and mysterious holes appear in the middle of Siberia, it must surely be the time to hold on to that knowledge which gives us security and confidence.

But what is that knowledge? Is it the knowledge that gas gives power and money, and for most of us it comes out of a pipe, not the ground, so we are cut off from “cause and effect?” Is it that money is voice and voice is protected by the Supreme Court, even if that one voice drowns out the effects of millions of other voices? After all, that voice is speaking for what you believe in. You can’t even understand the drivel from those other voices.

Is knowledge defined by fancy colorful graphs placed behind pretty people, explaining how gas in a “clean fuel?” Or is defined by the scientists who have been studying the climate and the causes of climate shift, usually for less money than any corporate executive makes? After all,money talks right. People don’t actually DO THINGS because they feel they are the right thing to do .
Or is the knowledge you learned in kindergarten, “The roots go down and then the plant grows up?” The simple idea that plants grow based upon what they consume, and since we eat those plants, we will ultimately eat that same energy. What does it tell you that the plants can’t grow in places where the water table has been disrupted, or even worse, blown up? What will you eat while you’re toasty warm in your fancy house, if the Midwest is full of fracking wells destroying those very plants that provide our national food supply?

But wait, let’s not over-react. After all this pipeline coming through New England isn’t BEING fracked, is it? No, it’s not, but it will carry the fruits of that destruction. It will leak that toxic methane that Mother Earth has sequestered underground, not for “until later,” but “for safe keeping.” If you’re God believing person, like I am, you certainly expect that He knew what he was doing when he put toxins away from our reach. We’re not talking about the Midwest, we’re talking about New England, the land that grows rocks instead of grains for the most part. “Hard as a rock,” doesn’t mean it’s not impermeable, just that it will shatter at some point, not necessarily in a predictable fashion. The blasting that will happen here may be as destructive to our water supply as the initial drilling that happens during fracking. We won’t be experiencing the forcing of polluted water into our water supply, but eventually, who says they won’t try? Once they are allowed into an area they can expand without much trouble, because the legal precedent has been set.

It’s time to listen to our hearts, not our pockets. It’s time to think for ourselves, do the research, talk to informed people, and stop swallowing the pablum that is overly simplified on commercials and laced with “cheaper for the consumer,” spices. Is it cheaper when we can’t drink our water? Is it cheaper when our health bills climb because of illness, or our utility bills climb because there are no other options and they control the supply ? Is it cheaper when the planet isn’t liveable, but you’ve had a comfy home for a generation? Too bad for those grandkids.

Turn on your brains! Listen to the voices that speak from the heart, not the pocket. Ask questions, and then make sure you get answers. If you don’t, assume that the real answer is too uncomfortable for that person to say. Our media is controlled by those who can pay their advertising rates. Those same people have as much cash as they need to reach our politicians. The only way to be heard above the din of self-interest is to BAND together to demand answers, and ACTIONS. Once our water is gone, it’s gone. Once our planet is beyond saving, where else do we go? I like it right here, in my Blasted Town. What do you think?

Comment on the proposed gas Kinder Morgan Pipeline

By Walt Cudnohufsky 8.13.14

Gas is neither a bridge fuel nor a cleaner fuel! It contributes at least equally, with other dirty

fuels, to our accelerating climate problem. Substantial methane, freed by gas drilling and

transport, has recently been calculated as sixty eight times more impactful and longer lasting

than co2. Clean and green is thus a myth!

By allowing the proposed Tennessee (Kinder Morgan) gas pipeline, even if against our will,

we are enabling destructive fracking and more pollution that any life time of conscious living

could ever mitigate. By voting no, this proposed pipeline gives us an opportunity, possibly the

single largest in our lives, to make a discernable difference on climate change and reducing

environmental impact.

It is my widely shared opinion that FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) is little more

than a rubber stamp for the oil and gas industry and our all too corrupt government. FERC will

almost assuredly find a “public need/necessity” where none exists.

It is critical to notice, even if you are now just learning of this pipeline proposal, that it is not

early in the planning process! On the contrary it is very late and near the end of that process.

As a land planner with some experience with transmission routing and road alignment, I have

come to know the four major stages of planning and design for such networks.

(1) Corridors several corridors would normally be reviewed--each multiple miles wide. Then

(2) Routes which can be up to one or two miles wide and within a selected corridor.

(3)Alignment the more specific path within the route and finally

(4) Design the technical specification for construction.

Kinder Morgan are assuredly in the fourth and final design stage for this pipeline, no matter

what they pontificate.

Sophisticated environmental data for the first three stages is readily accessible to the

corporations without going on the land. The important thing to note is there is only minimal

flexibility in their plans at this late fourth stage and with a favorably inclined FERC (they

know already of their favored odds of achieving approval) what we say and think is severely

discounted if ever it had value.

I submit that the cumulative effect of impacts of the pipeline, must be assessed for the entire

pipeline even if in multiple states and tabulated and reviewed cumulatively by state and at the

federal level.

The impact studies must also include any lateral distribution pipes (mentioned in their

presentations) which could rival the proposed direct pipe line in aggregated length and

impact. The laterals are likely to be equally impactful and damaging because of certainty to

be in populated areas. If Kinder Morgan claims there are no laterals planned or designed,

it is assured that the huge proposed volume of gas is destined to be shipped off shore. The

container ships and LNG stations are on order, being planned and constructed as we ponder

this pipeline.

The environmental impacts of fracking in addition to the pipeline itself (PA, NY, elsewhere)

must also be a simultaneous part of an environmental and cultural impact assessments.

Incremental review of any part of this fracking-pipeline system is severely deficient. There

are ample town, state and federal regulations that support and require this cumulative and

aggregated environmental review.

There is currently encouraging momentum in the mounting resistance across the affected

Towns in Massachusetts. By use and electricity rate increases, everyone in the State is involved

not just the directly affected communities.

My conclusion: If ever you were to speak up and take action, now is that time! Support your

neighbors and fellow citizens and all the Massachusetts and New York communities certain to

be harshly impacted. See http://www.nofrackedgasinmass.org/

Making Our Case

Things have been rolling along in the Citizens vs. TPG Pipeline Public Case. For weeks now, young people from all over America have been riding the proposed pipeline routes, giving the Earth a voice through their presence and words.

People all over the Commonwealth, as you can see from the awesome posts from my co-authors, have been speaking for their communities and the resources beneath their feet. Even Boston heard about the pipeline when WGBH actually let Roberta Flashman ask Governor Patrick a question about the pipeline. I didn’t know if they would let a non-Bostonian speak, let alone a person who was going to put the Governor in the corner. But they did! And now, Mr. Governor, if you’d like a reminder of the document you signed, we can make it available to you. Those of us who are working against the Pipeline have really been doing their research, much more than me, I’m afraid.

So now comes the Tyngsboro/Dracut Rally in the Lowell/Dracut State Forest! Thanks to Better Future Project, the folks that brought us the Climate Summer Riders (Thank you! One and All!) there will be a great presence speaking for those towns, and the remainder of “We Blasted Towns.” It looks like solar power really wants to show its stuff, too, as the weather is calling for a glorious days for raised voices and heightened awareness!

Then, next week, scores of people will be at Boston Common for the Big Rally! Let’s make it hundreds, even thousands, on July 30 from 11-1 in front of State House. Let’s remind the government, both state and federal, that they work for voters, not for Kinder Morgan or any other corporation! Those corporations think with their wallets, and they don’t breathe air or drink water. They don’t care about our environment – they don’t live here, or really anywhere!

But the Rally can’t be the end of things. The TPG/Kinder Morgan pipeline project will be a spectre over this region until the time comes when energy comes from sun, wind and water. They will be waiting for people to get complacent, and maybe a little cold, and then they’ll raise those ugly heads of theirs. We need to be vigilant, active and involved!
Natural gas is a “bridge fuel to nowhere.” Like an oil-bearing train, it brings short term gain with long term costs, and a track full of danger along with it. It’s time to Change things up, and make sure that the future is considered, not just tomorrow, but for next year, and beyond.

Rolling March in Pepperell

“Russ Schott reports that the Pepperell Walk was held on Tuesday and the event ran smoothly, and seemed to be enjoyed by all, despite the 90 degree temperatures.   Our intrepid group of walkers, maxed out with a headcount of over 80 men, women and children (and a few dogs), during the morning segment.   At noon the group stopped at Pepperell Town Hall, and we had over 100 people (including a walking group from Hollis, NH, who walked north following a proposed line) line up for a group picture, holding signs and performing “No pipeline chants”.

From Facebook, credit to Kristin Yargeau

Highlights included:

·         Stopping at the Pepperell Brick One Room School for a picture;

·         Stopping at one of the nicest vistas in Pepperell on Win Duke’s farm, overlooking his hayfields and scenic pond.   His farm is one of the “places in peril”, as the Pipeline is proposed to pass between his home and pond;

·         Stopping for a loooonnnng water/energy bar/watermelon/orange slice/shade break in between Win’s and Paula Terrasi’s homes;

·         A similarly nice break at Vince and Denene Premus’s home, (impacted property owners) where Vince spoke passionately to the group about how the threat of the pipeline is affecting their lives.

·         A nice 3/8 mile walk across the Keyes Farm Conservation Area, one of Pepperell’s nicest conservation lands;

·         And lastly, completing the Walk on property owned by Paul and Mimi Matisse on the banks of the Nashua River.   This property will also be directly impacted should the pipeline be approved.    There we met Groton resident Marion Stoddart, founder of the Nashua River Watershed Association, who was then joined by nine (9) canoes and seven(7) kayaks, for the paddle across to the Groton side of the River.

(photo S. Stromsted)

·         Paula Terrasi and Russ Schott then made the hand-off of the symbolic Pipe to Groton residents Richard and Diane Hewitt and Nick Miller, at the stone boundary along the Ayer-Nashua Rail Trail/Bike Path.   Groton’s Walk will be held on Wednesday, July 23^rd.

·         Our total walking route was 5.1 miles, and our paddling route was .5 miles;

·         Many thanks to Stephen Wicks and his Partner Judy who gamely moved ahead of the Walkers and Paddlers and worked tirelessly to film the Walk and river crossing, and to Jeanne Nevard and other photographers, who took countless still photos.   We hope to post photos once they are processed, later this week.    Additionally the Pepperell Police and Fire Departments provided wonderful safety support during the Walk and the river crossing.”

Pipeline Resistance Rally at Clarkdale Fruit Farms

photo credit: d.o. 

More than 8 walkers and 100 enthusiastic activists had a great day Friday, July 11, opposing the Kinder Morgan pipeline at the Clarkdale Fruit Farm.

Looking out at manicured orchards and fields, you could see a line of bright orange balloons marking the line of the intended pipeline through this three-generation old pristine farm in Deerfield.

Clarkdale Fruit Farm has posted a sign telling us, that if the pipeline runs through the farm, it will be the end of 600 of their bountiful fruit trees (I heard people talking about Clarkdale peaches being the best peaches anywhere).

There was a wonderful spirit among the crowd, with uplifting music, homemade free ice cream from the Wagon Wheel Restaurant and a heartening talk by State Representative Steven Kulick, D-Worthington, who encouraged us to work tirelessly to stop the unneeded pipeline and its potential ravaging environmental consequences  e through the state. He said we had much support in the legislature but needed to get the executive branch on board.

Families with young children, bicyclists, and many seniors participated. People bought lawn signs and signed petitions. I felt that everyone was energized through the wonderful hospitality provided by the Clarkdale Fruit Farm family and profound dedication not to allow a destructive pipeline to get a single toe into Massachusetts.

The walk will continue through Massachusetts, rolling from town to town from day to day, and end at the statehouse July 30when we hope a large crowd will gather at let the executive branch know we need its clear opposition to the Kinder Morgan Tennessee pipeline so that not a Massachusetts landowner experiences Kinder Morgan's survey of a single plot of land.

by Hattie Nestel

Lots of activities planned for tomorrow (Sunday July 13th)!

Deerfield- Meet at 8:45 under the railroad trestle on River Road, just after Rt 5&10.
Montague- Meet at 10:00 am on Greenfield Rd (in Montague) where the bike path crosses in time to get to the bike bridge. OR hop in a canoe or kayak to be under the bridge by 10:00 am. Nearest put-in (just upstream of the bike bridge) is at the end of Poplar st. in Montague
Erving- meet at 2:00 pm on the Millers Falls bridge (Rte 63) for a 3 mile walk to Northfield.

Picnic at 4:00 pm at Riverview Picnic and Recreation Area in Northfield. Hamburgers, etc. provided. Thinking of hungry walkers? Bring a potluck dish to share! 

The Rolling March has begun!

The Rolling March to Stop the Pipeline is all about building enthusiasm, awareness, and making a statement so loud that it will carry us to Boston on July 30th. Along we way, we're carrying a pipe that holds a petition with over 10,000 signatures calling for Massachusetts legislators to ban new "fracked gas" pipelines and to champion sustainable energy. We're looking to add signatures and stir up conversation along the way. We're hoping that the media will follow our efforts, and stir up conversation at a higher level.

Enjoying the vistas in Richmond while carrying the pipe "baton

Sunday, July 6th, was a beautiful day to kick off the March in Richmond. Hilltop Orchards hosted "Fossil Fuel Independence Day," where a crowd of about 150 gathered to talk, listen to rousing speakers, and to walk. There were people from as far east as Pepperell, MA and as far west as Canaan, NY. Someone from Kinder Morgan came, but he stayed quiet and opted not to walk with us. As we walked, many people honked and gave us the "thumbs up" in support. 

Marchers set off from Hilltop Orchard

Richmond is in a little different situation from most of the rest of Massachusetts, as there is an existing easement that already has 3 pipelines--this would add a fourth. We passed the existing easement several times, a wide swath cut through the trees in the hills, with orange-capped markers highlighting the location of each of the three pipes. The fourth pipe would be added beside the others, requiring an additional 25 feet to be permanently cleared.

Marchers pass the existing pipeline easement

Yesterday (July 7th), a crowd of about 40 gathered in Pittsfield for a "stand-in" rally against the pipeline. There, the baton was passed from Melanie Masdea of Richmond to Cheryl Rose of Dalton. 

Photo by Rose Wessel

The Pittsfield/ Dalton stretch was completed by bicycle. Cyclists with "Stop the Pipeline" messages on their helmets rode from Pittsfield to Alpine Solar to pass the baton to Windsor.

This morning, Tuesday July 8th, a group of walkers walked across Windsor from Alpine Solar down Route 9 to the West Cummington Parish House. More walkers joined in a few miles later. Many cars honked and gave us the "thumbs up" sign. One guy raised his hands asking "what pipeline?" but didn't stop to hear an answer--hopefully he remembers us and reads a newspaper or hears someone talking. Another car did stop, and had plenty of questions about the pipeline, surveying, FERC, etc. This walk can be a chance to educate.

Some of the Windsor Marchers gather in front of Alpine Solar

Tomorrow, Wednesday July 9th, walkers from Cummington will gather at the West Cummington Parish House at 8:00 am (coffee served!); depart at 8:30, walking to Earthdance (all are welcome to continue on through Plainfield or return to the Parish House to disperse). 

A Plainfield contingent will pick up the baton at Earthdance around 9:30 and walkers will congretate at the Plainfield Town Hall for a 10:00 am walk about 5 miles to the Ashfield line.  

Find frequently updated schedules of the march through all towns at www.nofrackedgasinmass.org/rolling-march or on the Facebook event: Rolling March to Stop the Pipeline.

Contribution by Julia Blyth

Someone suggested that we build a Rolling March-specific email list (perhaps through Mailchimp). We can make buttons to join the list on Facebook and your two websites, and then we'd send out daily updates--- a few pictures from events that just happened, and details of the next few days' marches.
I'm for it (and will deal with it until it make sense for someone in the east to take it on) what do you think? Is it just one more thing to sign up for, or will it be useful?

Also, I'm nearly ready to post the march as one big facebook event on Stop TGP Northeast Expansion! I'll keep updating as we get feedback, but the west is pretty well filled out.

Also, I suppose we should come up with a hashtag... suggestions? I guess short is good.
#StopPipelineMarch
#RollingMarchToStopTGP
#MarchToBoston
#MarchAgainstThePipeline
#PipelineRelay



I like Pipeline Relay, but how about #WalkAwayfromGas? Other ideas?


Thanks Julia, Katy and Rose for all your work, and to everyone else who's working so hard!

Pat

Who’s Greater Good?

Throughout the Commonwealth Special Town Meetings are being held to vote on a non-binding resolution. So far 20 towns have held these meetings, and so far all 20 have passed. Why such overwhelming support for a non-binding document? Because it is a large, unified statement to Kinder Morgan and Tennessee Gas Pipeline that THEY ARE NOT WANTED HERE.

There is some hope that the pipeline may move out our area, to an area south of us. While for some that may be the solution to their problem, in my way of thinking “why spend the money, take the risk, and contribute to the climate change situation for something we don’t need?

This is THE TIME to start acknowledging that if we are going to save our planet, our civilization and for some, their money, by shifting away from convenient, fossil fuel. Natural gas may not be a carbon source of concern, but it is a part of the carbon process. Where do you find natural gas? In areas where oil and coal are found. When they tap a new oil field, they’ve been releasing natural gas into the air with abandon. When they explore coal mines, they worry about “gas pockets.” Do you believe that is “unnatural gas?”

Recently Pepperell voted unanimously to keep the pipeline out of their towns. Groton also voted nearly animously. There were 423 people in Pepperell who stayed in the heat with broken air conditioners to be heard. At least 250 people showed up in Groton. The little town of Dalton also stood up to KM/TPG to say “NO.” These towns don’t have the ability to vote for the state, but they have stated that in their towns that there is no “Greater Good,” by continuing this damaging, potentially dangerous project.
Kinder Morgan has decided to go to the Federal level to get permission to begin their project before they appeal to the Commonwealth. Why? Because already, with very little media coverage, more than 5% of the towns have already stated their opposition. If the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is doing its job it’s SUPPOSED to pay heed to the wishes of landowners who have denied access, to cities and towns that have passed such referendum, and to the amount of opposition that has been voiced against this project. FERC is already under heavy scrutiny for its actions on the southern line, known as the Constitution line, and Kinder Morgan/TPG have been cited with starting their preparations for pipeline expansion without proper authorization.

So who’s Good is this project serving? Not mine. Is it yours? Please attend events in your area, such as Climate Summer’s cyclists coming along the pipeline route. Sign petitions, referendum requests and put up signs voicing your opposition. If you are still unsure, then learn more about the effects of this pipeline. Visit http://www.Massplan.org or http://www.NoFrackedGasinMass.org . Reach out to your state and federal elected officials. It is in your best interest to protect your planet, your neighborhood and your health by stopping this pipeline and progress to alternative, renewable energy. It may not be KM’s great good, but does Kinder Morgan (Fresh out of Enron) really need more “good,” than you do?

You decide and then act!

Change in the Pipeline

I look around and see corporate sponsorships everywhere I look. The Xfinity Center in MA. A local farmer’s market now carries the corporate logo of their sponsor. The news is full of corporations getting this new opportunity for marketing, and that new promotional deal. I’m kind of tired of it myself.
To me farmer’s markets are about the local community, the work done by individuals, not by groups with tons of money. Americans have been taught that it is the power of corporations that make things happen, and that they can’t be fought. Here in MA we’re trying to stop a major energy company from destroying our landscape, our water supply, our home values, and our air quality. Many people, including those in the state have said “This is a done deal. Just let it go through.” I can’t believe that. I can’t believe that a company in Texas will reap the wealth of the energy prices, while we in rural Massachusetts and New York, suffer as those in Pennsylvania, Ohio, the Midwest, and the South have done. Not because we’re special, but because we have the benefit of learning from their efforts. Our nation has given over its control of our resources to the highest bidder, leaving us to deal with the after effects.
We know the after effects now; polluted waters, diminished property values, higher energy bills, higher mortgage and insurance rates, and the loss of access to land that homeowners pay taxes, but cannot use for production. Some of the owners may have large checks in their hands, but they will have to use that money to pay for trucked in water, replacement livestock, and the chances they can resell the land is minimal.
We, as individuals, as citizens, have to speak up for ourselves. We need to work together to be heard. We need to work as a community, as a region, to make things possible for our residents. As someone who grew up outside of Detroit I have seen personally how loyal corporations are to their home towns. GM was really loyal when it moved out of Flint, Pontiac, Detroit. Chrysler was really loyal when it moved overseas. They were followed by the High Tech Industry in the 1980’s as Wang, Texas Instruments, Digital all expanded west, until their bottom fell out, leaving in its wake thousands of employees with no way to move to follow the jobs.
But if we protect our communities, our neighbors, our land, with the energy of the people who love and live there, we can change things. That is why NCSC is sponsoring ¢hange Day on July 5, 2014. This the beginning of a National Movement to bring back citizen involvement, self-reliance, community connections. If we can provide energy locally, through solar, wind and hydro, we don’t need to rely on “Big Gas/Oil” to bring it to us. We don’t need corporations to help us survive. We need each other. Start a ¢hange Day event in our area. We’re having a Puppet Parade, and collecting coins to go toward our Sustainability Hub. What’s the need in your area? Have a ¢hange Day to collect funds to fight the Pipeline, or Fracking, or Hunger, or plain Listlessness. Support the National Movement with a $10 or $25 license to use the 2014 Logo. We’ll put your event on our website, and your neighbors can support ¢hange In your area. We’ll be helping each other Change things for the better.

Funds over Facts

It’s amazing how the thought of money seems to cloud a person’s hearing. In fact, it seems to ave effected the hearing of the entire New England States Committee on Energy (NESCOE.) Despite information sent to them by the Conservation Law Foundation, recent information from several studies linking fracking and pipelines with illnesses, seismic disruption and animal deaths. It also seems to be ignoring a recent study done by the energy industry stating the need for natural gas is not rising, and that many fracking sites and drilling operations have been shut down because they aren’t cost effective. But NESCOE recently responded to CLF’s attorneys, ignoring their comments and re-asserting the need for additional natural gas.

Why? Because for two weeks in the past winter there has been a shortage of natural gas to heat homes. This amount of energy could be created through several different mechanisms without burying hundreds of miles of pipeline. A simple request to conserve, as is frequently done during heat waves, water shortages and other temporary lulls, is the easiest way. In addition, increasing the amount of energy created by solar power, wind power, or a long term look at the myriads of micro-hydropower sources that dot New England’s countryside, are much more feasible, renewable and sustainable methods of creating that power.
The story of the pipeline has started to get more publicity, through a recent article in the Boston Globe, and one on the Associated Press wire, but we need people to understand the underlying issue. This is not about providing energy to poor, deprived residents. This is about bringing money into the pockets of people like Kinder Morgan. These corporations are destroying farm land, and families, by their hydro-fracking, and want to bring that produce through the pristine lands of Northern Massachusetts. They say it will bring jobs, but only short term jobs, which will most likely be filled by their own, already employed, workers. They say it will lower our electric rates, but since we’ll be paying for the pipeline’s construction out of a tariff on our power, our rates will actually rise.

And why are the energy companies pulling back on exploration and drilling in some parts of the country? Because the gas leaks are so substantial the fields are “playing out,” sooner than they expected. The Marcellus Shale, the reservoir that Kinder Morgan will be piping through New England, is expected to be past profitability status by 2020. The pipeline won’t even be completed until 2018, if it goes through on schedule. After that time, what will come through? Probably oil, or the pipelines could just sit there, venting the Marcellus gas throughout New England, and they have no obligation to clean it up.
How does it come to happen that a government agency can so ignore the facts, and the wishes of its constituents in favor of the Texan voices? Because they don’t hear the voices of the people loud enough. Ms. Berwick’s husband is running for Massachusetts Governor, and his platform states that he is for” renewable energy and environment goals,” (from his campaign’s website.) He says he wants Massachusetts to be the first Carbon Neutral state, yet his wife is still a proponent of this pipeline that is not renewable, nor environmentally sound.

We need people to voice their opinions about the importance of the environment, alongside the need for required energy sources. The two are not at odds with each other, IF we think of the environment as we assess our needs. Air, water, food and security are not any less required than heat or power. We can change the way our country grows, but not if we keep looking to the same set of tools to build with.
If our country and our planet are going to be sustainable, we need to use our personal energy, and voices to add to the power sources that push us to more sustainable energy and choices. We can’t let the rustle of money and the comfiness of safety override the true need for sustainable energy, responsiveness to the voters and continuation of our planet and our lives .

For the Greater Good?

People up here in our Blasted Towns fear the coming of this pipeline, and many are afraid that it is unstoppable. But it can’t be. This is a part of the country where people have ruggedly created a life for more than 200 years. Why? Because it’s beautiful, rugged, clean and peaceful. Looking out my window I’ve seen fisher, bear, deer, coyote and wolf, all among my goat herd, behind my horse and donkey, and over my chickens. There’s room enough for us all out here, wild and tame together, but not if a tear comes through the landscape, breaking up the safety of the forest, forcing the predators out of their lairs panicking into towns looking for a place to hide.

This rip in the woods will come before the gas, as they clear the woods, blast the ground, and then put in the plastic pipe. Then they’ll cover it with what’s left of the rock and soil, and plant some sort of grass on it. Left to its own devices the forest would heal that scar with trees and brush, but Kinder Morgan wants to be able to service the pipeline whenever they feel the need to, so they’ll be keeping it from healing by using herbicides, and mowers, so that the roots don’t break or interfere with their “greater good.”

Who’s good is it? It’s not mine. I don’t have access to natural gas for my stove, and while I miss that in my cooking, electric, wood and propane are good enough options for me. That’s good news for me, since this pipeline will possibly destroy my water supply, cause damage to herd, ruin the natural sounds of the woods around me, and I won’t have access to this invisible gas. If it leaks, I won’t know it because the wonderful warning smell of leaking gas won’t be there yet. It will just run through my woods, destroy my sanctuary, and feed the pockets of Kinder Morgan in Texas.
It will serve some of my neighbors in Fitchburg, but wait, they already have a pipeline for natural gas!
Given that the city is a poster for economic inequality, with its empty houses and store fronts, surely those empty houses are only empty because they don’t have enough natural gas. May be it will help them? No, I don’t think so. It will help the towns east of us, the affluent cities and towns that already have natural gas, and aren’t asking for me. So who’s asking? So far Kinder Morgan hasn’t stated that it has any signors seeking their gas. It appears that the “good,” will come to those overseas, not in this country.

But surely they’ll have to pay to do this damage to our planet? Not if the proposed tariff goes into play. All of us who are “on the grid,” whether we have the natural gas or not, will have increased electrical bills to pay for the infrastructure of this pipeline. That’s certainly for the common good, right?
For the common good, in my mind, includes nature in the “common.” Putting more chemicals into the air and water isn’t for anyone’s good will. Destroying habitat, increasing human/animal interaction, adding anything in to the air to help warm it, isn’t in anyone’s best interest.

If we are going to continue to live on this planet we have to look at the mistakes that we’ve made getting to this point, ie. Air, water and noise pollution. We need to stop repeating the actions that don’t the global “common good,” at heart. If our government wants us to be truly energy independent we need to not only look at the source of the energy, but the impact of that energy. Constant expansion is not wise growth. Working to maintain, strengthen and protect the resources that we already have is much more sustainable, and economically wise, than constant outward growth.

If this country is truly to live up to its ideals, then this pipeline, and the hydro-fracking that will feed it, must be stopped. Why? Because that’s what the people want. The people who will feel the effect of it aren’t the moneyed energy moguls, but the farmers, foresters, and families who live in these rural areas. We are the protectors of our local planet resources. We have shown that we can live happily with the resources we have on hand. If not, then we would have moved before now. The corporations play urban and rural populations off each other, telling the urban dwellers that the rural people are roadblocks to their needs. But truly, the city folks are much more self-sufficient than they believe. We need to work together, as “the people,” to say that our health, our planet, our neighbors are more important than our cooking needs. Our planet has to be more important than our wallets, or else we’ll all be living in our wallets, and I don’t know about you, but my wallet is pretty low on resources these days.
But our planet is full of resources, and that doesn’t have to include a pipeline full of natural gas or oil. Please let’s stand up for ourselves, and the Earth, and be smart about this issue. My neighbor the bald eagle can’t vote, but I can speak on his behalf with my vote and my voice. I hear you neighbor! I’ll do what I can.

What are we fussing about?

Those of in the Blasted Towns want to make sure you realize that our problem with the TPG pipeline is not because it’s in our backyard. It’s because it’s in ANYONE’s backyard.

I’m going to break this down into several parts because it is not a simple issue. I’ll just take one area here. This area of the Commonwealth, like the areas in New York State, is the headwaters of water supplies for good sized cities. In my town alone, we are in the watershed headwaters for the Souhegan River, a river that serves southern New Hampshire leading up to Milford, NH, and on to the Merrimack, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean. We also have the Millers River, which flows west to the Pioneer Valley, providing water to Massachusetts’ richest growing soil, and winds up in the Connecticut River. We also have the beginnings of the Nashua River, which flows through Fitchburg and eventually winds up in Nashua, joining with the Merrimack River. The Merrimack is the water source for Nashua, NH, Lowell, Lawrence and many other Massachusetts cities. So damaging the quality of the clean water up here will effect both the quality of the water that reaches these cities, and possibly the amounts.
Kinder Morgan states that they plan to bury the pipeline up to 30’ down, and intend to go UNDER the Connecticut River, which at one place is listed as being 99 feet deep. The problem with this idea – bedrock. The Northern Tier of Massachusetts is granite, as any farmer can tell you, or any contractor who tried to build a house. “The biggest crop in Mass is rocks,” is often heard in agricultural sectors. When you want to get down more than a foot in these areas you often meet resistance, as in ledge. The only answer for this level of resistance is blasting, across more than 100 miles of rocky ledge Massachusetts.

What happens when pipelines cross through wetlands and areas that hold ground water? According to the National Institutes of Health in their 2010 report on pipeline construction in China:
“Moreover, pipeline crossing construction is shown to not only compromise with the integrity of the physical and chemical nature of fish habitat, but also to affect biological habitat and fish behavior and physiology (Lévesque and Dubé 2007), which will result in the avoidance movement of fish, altered distribution of populations (Newcombe and Jensen 1996) and reduce population size and species. Acipenser schrencki, Huso dauricus andBrachymystax lenok are national key protected animals (level II), which are facing extinction. They distribute in Huma River National Protection Reserve, which is the only high latitude and cold temperate zone provincial nature reserve of aquatic wildlife in China. B. lenok and Lota lota are main protection objectives of Pangu River Nature Reserve, which is the national fish genetic resources reserve in the high latitude cold zone. The disturbance or damage of pipeline construction or operation on these fish species are significant loss of geography and ichthyology. Moreover, Huma River is an important breeding site of Oncorhynchus keta, which is the endemic species of Amur-Heilong River basin. The altered water quality may cause the reduced yield of O. keta. Although the disturbances of pipeline construction are not long-term, the altered fish population distribution and movement cannot be recovered in short-term.” (Effects of Pipeline Construction on Wetland Ecosystems: Russia–China Oil Pipeline Project (Mohe-Daqing Section; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3357716/)
Yes, this is in China, but it’s the same planet. This is an area dotted with trout streams, as well as clean water. Our rocks harbor not only precious drinking water, but also reservoirs of arsenic and radon, which can be released into the water, or the air, as those deposits are disturbed.

The proposed route for the TPG Northeast Expansion, or as it’s called now, the Northeast Energy Direct program, goes under and through numerous bodies of water. It also will cross through many miles of granite and other ledge which protect aquifers, reservoirs and existing wells. While the issue of need will be discussed later, please remember that of all the water in the WORLD, only 1% is drinkable, fresh water. With the rate we’re using water for carbonated beverages, fracking, cooling and other unnecessary projects, how long will our water hold out? Where will you get your water when the rivers that feed the reservoirs starts to contain contaminants such as we protect up here in These Blasted Towns.

Who Are the Blasted Towns?

Along the Northern Tier of Massachusetts there is a part of the Commonwealth that has been relegated to "summer places," "small towns," and now, potentially, pipelines. Kinder Morgan, through its subsidiary, Tennessee Gas Pipeline, wants to bring a buried pipeline for natural gas through these towns, forests, and fields, to connect with the Eastern Massachusetts, more urbanized area. It is more than likely that this gas will be exported, so that Kinder Morgan and any other contracted energy company, could make money while they destroy the soil, towns, water and air of these areas.

When Kinder Morgan came through decades ago to drop the Constitution line, or other pipelines were put into New England, there was no established Internet, as there is now. Each town felt that they had to deal with this independently, and as news between these isolated towns did not travel as quickly, the companies could advance steadily to their goal. That's not true anymore. We have an Internet to connect our towns and cities. We have literate, intelligent residents who know how to use networking tools, and many of us have chosen to leave cities and 9-5 jobs in favor of a more self-reliant life where our individuality is a positive force, not a drawback. We are the residents of "Those Blasted Towns," and we are facing the energy corporations with facts, questions, and steadfastness.

Where are the "Blasted Towns?" They start in Upstate New York, where open farmland is proposed to be opened up to bury gas pipelines to take gas to urban areas in the East and "across the Pond." In Massachusetts we start at the NY/MA border and travel along the route through the Berkshires, Pioneer Valley, and to the Vermont and New Hampshire border towns. Once it reaches Dracut, the pipeline will connect south to the North Shore towns of Lynn, Salem, and potentially south to Boston and onto Rhode Island.

We'll be posting updates on town meetings, TPG presentations, and welcome photos, videos and other information from people affected in "Those Blasted Towns," by blasting, burying, or what has happened in the areas where pipelines are already existing. We will also be explaining how natural gas will serve, or not serve, our communities, the planet, our neighbors, and our lives.

This is not a place for name calling, or illogic. It's a place to educate people about what's happening, what we can do, and why we should do something? AGree, or disagree, as long as its civil, I'll post it here.
For more information about the pipeline visit www.MASSplan.org or the other sites listed there. There are lots of organizations working on this issue, each with their own take. I represent North Country Sustainability Center, Inc. and my job is to disseminate information. It's your job to make a decision for yourself what to do about it. Ok?

Pat Stewart,
Pres/Ex.Dir
NCSC,
Farmer/Abutter of Proposed Pipeline in Ashburnham