Episode 16: BEAT and Food & Water Watch vs. FERC

Welcome to the Audible Café Radio
Show/podcast! 


Today, I’m happy to share my interview with Jane Winn of
the Berkshire Environmental Action Team (or BEAT) and Rosemary
Wessel of No Fracked Gas in Mass (a program of BEAT). We
talked about a lawsuit that BEAT and the Food & Water Watch
have brought against the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC) in approving a fracked gas infrastructure project without
meeting the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) requiring FERC to meaningfully evaluate greenhouse
gas emissions from fossil fuel production and transportation
projects.


The project in question is known as the “261 Upgrade
Project” — a proposed Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company (“TGP”)
gas-fired compressor station expansion and proposed new pipeline
construction. Both the compressor station and the
pipeline portion of the project are detrimental to the health of
nearby residents (greater noise, air, and water pollution), will
increase greenhouse gas emissions, and will contribute to climate
change.


The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is intended to be “an
independent agency that regulates the interstate transmission of
electricity, natural gas, and oil. FERC also reviews proposals to
build liquified natural gas (LNG) terminals and interstate
natural gas pipelines as well as licensing hydropower projects.
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 gave FERC "additional
responsibilities” which are too numerous to list here. Check out
the FERC website for more info at www.ferc.gov.


This is far from the first time FERC has not met this
requirement; in fact, it would be difficult to find an example
where FERC meaningfully evaluated the greenhouse gas emission of
any project. FERC is known among environmentalists as a “rubber
stamp” commission, far from being an independent agency without
undue influence by the fossil fuel industry, it is quite the
opposite.


One Commissioner, Richard Glick, is a notable exception in voting
against unfavorable projects and issuing dissenting opinions that
make sense.


Energy projects and the morass of regulations and agencies that
oversee them are extremely complicated, but it’s important to pay
attention. While COVID-19 is overshadowing our day-to-day lives
and distracting us from other things, the current administration
is taking advantage of that tor ram through fossil fuel projects
and remove protections in ways that will have serious negative
repercussions for the environment and our climate.


Thank you, Jane and Rose, for talking with me
about this important lawsuit, and for your dedication in working
tirelessly to protect the environment and our health, and for
standing up for what is right and just.


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Thanks again, and have a great week!
Judy


 


SHOW RESOURCES


Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT) website


No Fracked Gas in Mass website


Food and Water Watch website


Food and Water Watch and BEAT v. FERC Petition for Review


Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) website


EEPittsfield website