To the editor:
I went to a meeting this week (“The Kinder Morgan Natural Gas Pipeline: Do We Really Need It?” sponsored by the Concord Climate Action Network) about the Kinder Morgan Gas Co., a Texas company that is working very hard to bring as many bigger natural gas pipelines into Massachusetts as it can.
Kinder Morgan’s proposed major 3.5-foot pipeline would bring large amounts of fracked gas from Pennsylvania through Massachusetts and parts of southern New Hampshire. Most of the gas would be put on ships and shipped to Asia, while Massachusetts would be asked to bear the major costs of this expansion as well as the risks that natural gas pipelines bring, from leaks to explosions.
The presentation by Cathy Kristofferson and Rich Cowan, who have been actively involved in this issue with the Mass Pipeline Action Network, was excellent. The presentation clearly demonstrated that Massachusetts does not need either more pipelines nor more natural gas. In light of the report that 2014 was one of the warmest on record, and that winters in general will be milder from now on, there appear to be adequate gas reserves with current pipelines. More natural gas will exacerbate global warming as it means more methane in the atmosphere. Methane is even more damaging to the Earth than CO2.
There is a major older natural gas pipeline in Lincoln, and Kinder Morgan might be considering expanding it “if there is demand.” Seems to me I remember vaguely getting a postcard in the mail from Kinder Morgan along these lines; perhaps you did, too?
As many have noticed, there have been gas odors in Lincoln (from an aged major natural gas pipeline that goes directly through Lincoln) of late; this has been reported on the LincolnTalk listserv. Former Selectwoman Sara Mattes suggested that perhaps these reports of odors should be reported to the town and cataloged by the town. Are they? It is evident that this older pipeline through Lincoln needs to be checked and fixed before something more drastic occurs than leaks.
Who manages these pipelines? Earlier this week I also spoke very briefly to some officials at Town Hall in the Selectmen’s Office, the Planning Office and the Assessor’s Office. Official Lincoln seems unaware of this pipeline through Lincoln and unaware of the possible plans afoot to bring more gas through Lincoln.
Should Lincoln encourage more natural gas? Should Lincoln discourage this?
Here is some further reading:
- A map of the existing gas pipeline that runs under Lincoln (Stop the Pipeline Coordinating Committee of Groton)
- How Boston Could Be Choking President Obama’s Climate Change Goal (WGBH)
- Boston belching gigantic gobs of greenhouse gas (Science magazine)
- A Natural Gas Pipeline for Massachusetts? (Concord Climate Action Network)
Sincerely,
Jean Palmer
247 Tower Rd.
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