In spite of the evidence that gas-leak repair saves millions of dollars and more effectively reduces emissions and the number of leaks, National Grid is asking Newton City Councilors for a fifth gas pipeline replacement project that will add $1,250,625 to last week’s $8,900,000 for four pipeline projects.
Please reach out to friends and neighbors, especially those who live on the streets most impacted by National Grid’s plans to lock us all into more polluting emissions and to paying for pipelines long after the gas system is obsolete. Ask them to attend the November 6 meeting of the Public Facilities Committee (agenda; 7PM, City Hall, Room 204; Zoom link) and speak out in person or on Zoom.
Find inspiration and talking points in the public comments at the last Public Facilities Committee Meeting, especially Peter Barrer’s detailed analysis of the excessive costs and ineffectiveness of pipe replacements for reducing emissions and leaks.
At a recent Massachusetts legislative briefing promoting the soon-to-be-passed “clean energy” bill that includes long overdue consumer protections, safety benefits, and emissions reduction, Audrey Schulman of HEETlabs said “…gas companies are spending a billion dollars statewide every year installing new gas pipes to replace leakprone gas pipes. These new pipes will last 100 years, take 60 years to be paid off by ratepayers, … Metaphorically, this is like “taking a giant mortgage out on your horse stable while your electric car is on order.”
More information at The Campaign for a Future WithOut Gas (AFWOG.org).
Ellie Goldberg
Newton Centre
