Friday #Fracking fighters need Funds

Fracking Fighters need Funds

From our Vermont group...

GREETINGS!

Last week was momentous for our campaign to stop the construction of Vermont Gas pipeline in Hinesburg.  The Public Service Board Hearings are now behind us.  First the PSB tried to close the hearings to the public, and hold them at a remote secure location.  But thanks to a fast acting challenge in federal court, where the judge ruled in favor of the First Amendment, they were required to open the hearings.  But they were still moved to a remote location with only a handful of seats available for members of the public. Kind of a sham!  But the PSB looked pretty poor in all the media coverage on this issue: a Public Service Board excluding the Public they Serve from hearings?  Not good…

Vermont Gas meanwhile has been scrambling to prevent the intervenors from being heard.  First they filed a motion to revoke the intervenors status (PSB did not agree).  Then as we walked into the hearings, VGS filed yet another motion to limit the intervenors scope to just a few issues from the pretrial memo.  What all this tells us is that VGS is WORRIED about our challenge.  They are doing everything in their power to prevent us from being heard, and to squelch public voices from the process.  

But we are NOT going to be shut out, and we WILL be heard.  Jim Dumont, our lawyer, was amazingly adept with his cross examination of VGS witnesses.  In sum, he basically set the stage for an appeal in Superior Court which we anticipate after the PSB decision which will invariably favor VGS.  

As we take a breather and get ready for next steps, we need to RAMP up our fundraising big time.  So far we have been keeping just barely on top of our legal fees, having raised about 15k.  We are SO grateful to all who have donated.  Thank you! Thank you!  But legal fees are going to rise steeply in the coming weeks as we go through the appeal process, probably in September. 

PLEASE DONATE!  SHARE this with all your friends and contacts!  Spread the word!  

We are not naive, but there are some good reasons to feel just a little optimistic.  If VGS doesnt get their pipeline in the ground in time, and they continue to face the challenges that abound - on wetlands, on rate rigging, and more... perhaps it is possible to imagine this project could be stopped! 

Then we will be singing in the streets instead of outside the PSB hearings.  

HELP US MAKE IT HAPPEN!  DONATE NOW!

Biofuelwatch: http://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk

Campaign to Stop GE Trees: http://stopgetrees.org

Global Forest Coalition:http://globalforestcoalition.org

Geoengineering Monitor: http://www.geoengineeringmonitor.org