By Nick Katkevich
In 2013, in the face of growing protests, the owners of the Brayton Point Coal Plant in Somerset, Massachusetts announced a timeline to shut down the facility. The power plant was the largest coal plant in the Northeast, and its closure appeared to mark the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel industry in the region. Unfortunately, the fracked-gas industry had other plans.
With fracking booming in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, a corporation called Spectra Energy announced plans to ship more of this gas into the Northeast via a major expansion to the “Algonquin” Pipeline (the word for this pipeline is appropriated from Indigenous culture, so from here on out will refer to it as the Spectra, or Enbridge pipeline). Ultimately, the plan was to ship the gas to a series of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) export terminals proposed for Maine and Nova Scotia.
In order to skirt environmental regulations, Spectra split the expansion proposal into three separate projects. There was the “AIM” project, which sought to expand pipeline and compressor station capacity in NY, CT, RI, and MA. Then there was the “Atlantic Bridge” project, which among other things included a proposal to build a new compressor station in Weymouth, MA, while also reversing the flow of the Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline that stretches from Boston to Nova Scotia, so that the fracked-gas could be shipped to the proposed LNG terminals. The third and largest of the expansion projects was called “Access Northeast”, which would involve huge amounts of construction along the whole pipeline route at a price tag of $3 billion (all of these expansions would be paid for by ratepayers, not the company itself).
In response to these proposed pipeline expansions, a massive region-wide resistance emerged: the movement to #StopSpectra. The No Pipeline Expansion (NOPE) Coalition was formed, there was a speaking tour, legal interventions, and local organizing efforts led by frontline communities. There was also an expansive nonviolent direct action, civil disobedience campaign that targeted investors, elected officials, and construction sites. Two former safety inspectors for the expansion even came forward as whistleblowers and spoke out about the hazardous way that construction was unfolding.
The first pipeline expansion was ultimately completed (although very delayed). The second expansion was also completed, yet drastically reduced in scope. But the third and largest of the expansion projects was canceled, and every single LNG export terminal that was proposed for Maine and Nova Scotia was stopped. Spectra Energy soon sold themselves to oil giant Enbridge, and it appeared the fight was shifting to shutting down existing gas infrastructure.
Enbridge is one of the dirtiest fossil fuel corporations in the world. They recently became notorious for forcing the Line 3 oil pipeline through Ojibwe territory in northern Minnesota. Enbridge partnered with police and private security to violently suppress Indigenous led resistance to the pipeline.
Now that the Line 3 pipeline has been completed, Enbridge has its eyes set on the Northeast. This September, Enbridge shockingly announced plans to resurrect the “Access Northeast” pipeline expansion, under a new name: “Project Maple”. Enbridge is working to secure contracts for the additional gas that would be shipped into the Northeast as part of the project. Preliminary documents show that Enbridge is hoping to expand pipelines, and compressor stations in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. Meanwhile, last ditch plans to once again build LNG export terminals in Nova Scotia have remerged.
The new fight against this pipeline project and massive fracked-gas build out is just beginning. But by taking cues from the Stop Spectra movement, it’s important to start organizing regional opposition, building up our tool kit to launch a diversity of tactics, all while following the lead of frontline communities. Together we can stop Project Maple, and End Enbridge.
Join our organizing efforts!
If you are interested in attending Massachusetts Sierra Club’s next Energy Justice Organizing Team (EJOT) meeting, reach out to Ally Samuell at allyson.samuell@sierraclub.org.
You can also sign and share this petition to Governor Maura Healey urging her to Put Gas in the Past!