As I left my home in Northampton early March 17 on my way to Windsor and the start of the four-day anti-pipeline walk, I grumbled about the dense fog I would need to drive through and hoped it wouldn’t last the entire 45 minutes and continue during our walk. As I climbed elevation into Williamsburg and beyond the fog lifted some, then settled heavy and dense again.
My grumbling ended abruptly when I came to the realization that this fog was a perfect symbol of the pipeline situation. Out of the fog emerged this reality that this huge, distant corporation had plans to slice a gash across our region to bring fracked gas from Pennsylvania to export markets in Europe and beyond.
Then the company claims the gas is needed here and the fog thickens again.
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey performs an analysis and determines in fact we do not need new supply sources and if the leaks in existing pipes in New England were fixed we would have a surplus and the skies clear.
The PR blitz claiming the pipeline will lower our energy costs, allow business expansion and create new jobs marks the return of the fog.
Again, clarity comes when objective reports confirm that in fact the cost of gas would actually increase for us since we would now be competing with the world market where the prices are up to five times greater than we now pay.
There was at least one car that passed our group of more than 80 people walking who called out support for the pipeline.
I expect they have heard and believe the line from Kinder Morgan about jobs and cheap fuel for home heating. The accurate picture is there for anyone to see if they look for it.
Learn more about opposition to the Kinder Morgan pipeline project at www.SugarShackAlliance.org.
Reed Schimmelfing
Northampton