View the full article in the Maine Beacon here.
Published in the Maine Beach on March 4, 2021.
Summit Natural Gas on Tuesday rescinded its proposal for a natural gas pipeline expansion project in the midcoast region in a move that local activists and environmental leaders are claiming as a grassroots victory.
The project, which would impact the towns of Belfast, Camden, Lincolnville, Northport, Rockland, Rockport, and Thomaston, had been quietly welcomed by local officials in Rockport and Belfast.
However, opponents made themselves known at a virtual Rockland City Council meeting on Feb. 23 when community members filled the city council’s Zoom meeting to its 100-person capacity with more than 70 additional individuals tuning in to the livestream, the overwhelming majority of whom had attended to speak out against the project.
During public comment on the proposal, environmental arguments in opposition were many-fold, referencing the climate effects of investing in new fossil fuel infrastructure, concerns that the pipeline would carry natural gas extracted through hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” and health and safety concerns related to natural gas pipelines, such as pipeline malfunctions and long-term health effects related to natural gas.
Amy Files, one Rockland resident firmly opposed to the project, spoke of a moral imperative of the Rockland City Council to stand in opposition to the project, framing the issues as apolitical. “No matter what side of the aisle you’re on, we do know that we need to phase out fossil fuels,” Files said.
Jordan Barnett Parker, a member of the Board of Selectmen in nearby Lincolnville, another town impacted by the project, echoed this outlook. “Now is not the time to be investing money and energy into antiquated fossil fuel systems that have no future,” he said.
While oppositional voices were a commanding majority at Tuesday’s meeting, a limited number of tradesmen and union representatives spoke in favor of the project, championing its potential to bring jobs to the region.
Hallie Arno, a young advocate from Lincolnville, encouraged attendees to align their priorities by sponsoring renewable energy development. “Renewables are an opportunity to increase jobs in our communities as well as prevent some of these climate-related disasters,” she said. Arno was among many advocates who cited support for good-paying union jobs in renewable energy.
While the City Council did not take a vote on the issue last week, some councilors made their positions clear. Among them, Benjamin Dorr was explicit as he thanked Summit for their attendance. “I pretty fully disagree with what you’re trying to do,” he said.
Given Maine Public Utilities Commission’s (PUC) rules and existing agreements that Summit Natural Gas holds with Maine Department of Transportation, Summit would have been able to move forward with the project with limited additional permitting at the municipal and town level, and therefore could proceed without public support.
However, just a week after the Rockland City Council meeting, Summit issued a letter to community leaders in the region cancelling the project, citing a lack of consensus among community members and a company dedication to being a “good friend and a good neighbor.”
Environmental organizations like the Sierra Club, who were engaged in a campaign in opposition to the project, see this roll-back as a win for grassroots organizers and community advocates.
“In just two short weeks, over 270 people signed a petition against the project, and more than 170 people showed up in opposition to the project at a Rockland City Council meeting. It was clear that Midcoast residents were not fooled by Summit’s advertising,” said Sierra Club Maine chapter director Sarah Leighton in a press release.
“While we are pleased that Summit Natural Gas decided to listen to the people of Midcoast Maine, our effort to stop fracked gas does not end here,” continued Leighton.
Arno, who was relieved by the outcome, remained skeptical that a corporation would willingly walk back its plan simply due to public pressure.
“I find it hard to believe that a for-profit fossil fuel company would be doing this out of good-faith,” she said, questioning whether or not profitability was also a consideration in Summit’s decision-making process.
Regardless of Summit’s motivations in cancelling the project, the outcome gives Arno reason for optimism.
“I was encouraged by the advocacy of so many residents at the Rockland City Council meeting who spoke about the need to lower greenhouse gas emissions, their concern for community health, and the role Maine must play as a leader in solving the global climate crisis,” she said.