Guest editorial Links to public meetings re: Proposed Gaz Pipeline...We join Cornwall in saying, "No, Thanks"...

Guest editorial by

Kevin Burget...

he posted this great piece to our anti pipeline group...

 

Here are links to highlights and full coverage of  Cornwall, VT public meeting with Vermont Gas Systems. VGS, a Canadian-owned company wants to put a transmission line containing Canadian fracked natural gas through Vermont and drilled under Lake Champlain to serve International Paper in Ticonderoga NY and connected with fracked gas infrastructure pending in NY State.

Cornwall Meeting - Highlights (14 min)

https://vimeo.com/68977623

Cornwall Mtg - Full Coverage (1 hr) part 1of2

https://vimeo.com/68916542

Cornwall Mtg Full Coverage - (1 hr) part 2of2

https://vimeo.com/68916543

Judging by the voiced opinions of Cornwall citizens, there is strong objection to the state seizing land of Vermonters, threatening homes, land values and Lake Champlain itself with an entirely new fossil fuel infrastructure, said to last 100 years, with only questionable short-term financial benefit to some Vermont families and businesses. According to MIT's recent studies, the pipeline is also as bad or worse than oil in terms of global warming emissions of Methane and CO2, let alone its permanent destruction of Alberta, a hitherto pristine province of Canada from fracking. In the long-term, Vermont is being asked to give right-of-way to a company that will "in perpetuity" be able to run fracked natural gas or indeed "any energy substances" via expanded infrastructure through this right of way forever, as worded specifically in the lease agreements VGS is pressuring landowners to sign.

This is rare footage, because it is one of the few times this company's executives must publicly confront the people its work will impact forever. If the Public Service Board approves the pipeline, VGS, protected by contract law and a Certificate of Public Good, will forever after speak only through its lawyers, if at all.

If you agree this is grave and wrong direction for Vermont to be headed, please read more and contact the Dept. of Public Service through the number listed here: http://www.risingtidevermont.org/stop-the-vermont-gas-pipeline.html . Speaking to these folks and your own town Select Boards are the only way to get the state to recognize the will of its citizens and stop this pipeline before the Public Service Board makes its ruling in the fall of this year.