The NED Pipeline
YES to Climate Action, NO to Gas Fracktion.
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Keene Gas Plant • Concord Steam • Keene Gas Plant (Franchise) • Granite Bridge Pipeline
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Kinder Morgan's Northeast Energy Direct (NED) pipeline was withdrawn in May of 2016, but Liberty Utilities continues to aggressively seek gas contracts throughout New Hampshire using segments of pipelines. The pipelines, once connected, would export gas from the Marcellus Shale Formation in Pennsylvania out to Canada and European markets and put the region at risk of even more pipeline expansion.
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Governor Sununu has said he welcomes Kinder Morgan or other pipeline companies to New Hampshire. He also supported transitioning the Concord Steam biofuel plant to fracked gas, a plan we actively opposed. We have much work to do to move NH towards a #FossilFree603. One of the best things we can do to protect against fossil fuel infrastructure projects is to promote and support renewable energy projects such as solar, wind and offshore wind, and oppose Liberty Utilities' natural (fracked) gas expansion.
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KINDER MORGAN'S NORTHEAST DIRECT PIPELINE OPPOSITION (2014-16)
Our largest campaign is in assisting Monadnock Region communities in
defense of their property, health, safety from the proposed Kinder Morgan
Northeast Direct (NED) pipeline. All 17 directly impacted towns have written
warrant articles and/or resolutions against the pipeline.
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NH TOWNS ON THE ORIGINAL NED PIPELINE ROUTE (2014-16)
Winchester, Richmond, Fitzwilliam, Troy, Rindge, New Ipswich, Greenville, Mason,
Milford, Brookline, Amherst, Merrimack, Litchfield, Londonderry, Hudson,
Windham, Pelham.
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CONCERN
Liberty Utilities natural (fracked) gas expansion across New Hampshire as they seek contracts to fill the need for a pipeline.
PIPELINE ROUTE & GAS EXPANSION THREATS
- Poisoned air and water
- Soil, farms & food irrigated by frack wastewater
- Contaminated drinking water, wells, aquifers, streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands
- Life threatening health impacts to children, families, fracked gas workers
- Increased ‪#climatechange‬ impacts
- Big oil & gas locking us into a fossil fuel future
- Leaks, explosions and the incineration zone
- Environmental impacts, destruction of pristine lands, wildlife habitat, corridors, migration zones and fragmenting wildlife habitat
- The taking of private land, protected and conservation land, state and national parks and historic and private homes, churches and schools by eminent domain
- Loss of insurance coverage of our homes and land due to pipelines, compressor stations, fracking and frackquakes
- Lost value to our homes and land
- Loss of rural community character, scenic vistas
- Loss of peace of mind, quiet, and dark night skies
- Dangerous, poison gas spewing, light emitting, noisy, unsightly compressor and metering stations
- Paying on our utility bills for a pipeline we don't want or need
- 17 directly impacted and countless other impacted towns in NH
- At least 5 directly impacted states: PA, NY, CT, MA, NH
- From elected officials who ignore climate, air, water protection laws
- From the massive financial corporate media spin confusing the public
- From the collusion and deceptive practices of large corporations
- Companies with abhorrent safety records marred by repeated leaks, explosions and other disasters, promising safe, clean energy to uninformed consumers
- Environmental, social, racial, economic, cultural injustice of enormous energy corporations too big and too protected to control
- From unresponsive, unsupportive elected officials tainted by campaign funding from unscrupulous sources.
ECHO Action and your community pipeline groups are here to assist you in becoming more informed about how the proposed TGP/Kinder Morgan pipeline would affect you. We are knowledgeable community liaisons offering free assistance in the affected Southwestern New Hampshire towns since the pipeline was proposed in the Fall of 2014.
WE CAN HELP YOU UNDERSTAND
• Information from Kinder Morgan
• Long term impacts on your property, land devaluation, one time payments
• Winchester’s aquifer (drinking water supply) and Pulpit Falls
• The real cost of this project and who pays for it
• The reality of New Hampshire’s energy needs (we export electricity, no need for gas)
• Scoping Sessions, why it’s important to attend & share your concerns
• Co-Location and the Incineration Zone
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and how to submit comments
• Protecting yourself, making informed decisions, connecting you with other impacted land owners
• Learn what other towns are doing and how you can become involved. It’s all about community!
• How and why to deny survey access, even if pipeline representatives have already visited your property
• Participate in meetings, discussions, Q&A, join our our newsletter and/or Facebook pages.
• Town meetings, hot news items, outreach events
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RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN KINDER MORGAN & LIBERTY UTILITIES CONFIRMED
We can help make sense of information and answer your questions. We are here to help protect our neighbors and towns. We work closely with Select Boards, Conservation Commissions and Town Administrators, keeping up-to-date on decisions and planning, town by town, to keep you informed. Troy, Fitzwilliam, Richmond and Winchester made and maintain valuable community connections during our work to #StopNED. We are a community working together for you. Accurate information is your best protection. We now work to educate Keene and the greater Monadnock Region.
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"Liberty Utilities is a subsidiary of Algonquin Power and Utilities Corp. And Algonquin, which has its headquarters in Ontario, Canada, is participating in the development of the Northeast Energy Direct pipeline with Kinder Morgan through that company’s subsidiary, Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co.
Liberty officials repeatedly said Wednesday the series of events leading up to the company’s filing this fall to expand natural gas service was a coincidence.
However, Michael Licata, director of government and community relations for Liberty Utilities, acknowledged — when put on the spot by Winchester Conservation Commission member John H. Hann — that a diagram being circulated by anti-pipeline activists showing Liberty Utilities having a relationship to the project was “essentially accurate that we have an unregulated affiliate with investment in the Northeast Energy Direct pipeline.”
The document, created by Susan L. Durling of the activist group Winchester Pipeline Awareness, shows Kinder Morgan and Algonquin partnering to form Northeast Expansion LLC to build and own the Northeast Energy Direct pipeline, with Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. being brought in as Kinder Morgan’s subsidiary to operate it.
The diagram then shows Algonquin’s connection to Liberty Utilities, which is also known in New Hampshire as EnergyNorth Natural Gas Inc."
Excerpt from the Keene Sentinel, "Some Winchester Residents Skeptical of Plan to Expand Natural Gas", 11/6/15, by Meghan Foley
Graphic credit: Sue Durling, 2015
Is Eversource teaching "gas education" in your child's school? (Blog post w/graphics)
Liberty Utilities admits relationship with Kinder Morgan
11/4/2015
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Conversation recorded and transcribed by Sue Durling, referencing her 2015 diagram (above) at the Winchester NH Board of Selectmen meeting on 11/4/15.
Conversation between John Hann, Winchester Conservation Commission and Michael Licata Liberty Utilities representative.
JH: Let’s get to the crux of this then. So you have an unregulated subsidiary, and that subsidiary has an affiliation with Kinder Morgan?
ML: So the the unregulated affiliate or it’s a subsidiary of Algonquin Corporation um has an ownership stake ahh an investment in the NED pipeline.
JH: So, by extension or Boolean algebra, you, Liberty, is an investor in Kinder Morgan or NED?
ML: (inaudible) Uh, Liberty Utilities, the regulated entity that’s before you, um, is not an investor in the NED pipeline. Uh, that’s okay. I’ve seen the diagram as well, and it’s actually pretty accurate. Yeah, that’s essentially accurate. here’s an unregulated, as I said, unregulated affiliate, that has an investment, uh, interest, in the NED pipeline. Uh, you know I’m not making a secret of that, but I don’t think that really changes. Um, you know, sort of the very real needs of our customers for additional gas capacity, which is why we have to go to the Public Utilities Commission. They review that contract and make a determination as to whether or not that’s in the public interest.
JH: Alright, but you do have an affiliation with Kinder Morgan? So the answer is yes.
ML: Yes, okay, but sure.
JH: It just took a while to get there. Uh, so referencing back to Rick’s question, uh, in order for Kinder Morgan to have their application approved by FERC, they have to prove need. So by contracting with Kinder Morgan, you enable them to prove need, even though as Rick has pointed out, there are no customers here.
2017 MAPS
* Click to view in high resolution and zoom.
Kinder Morgan Pipelines: New England *
Tennessee Gas Pipeline: Zones 5 & 6 *
Pink boxes indicate compressor stations.
Northeast Transmission Pipelines
Gas for export: Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline *
BEING MONITORED (Credit: No Fracked Gas In Mass)
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TGP Open Season Announcement (Posted on May 23, 2017, exactly one year after the NED pipeline was withdrawn.)
Berkshire Gas Moratorium, MA
Berkshire Gas is still imposing a moratorium on any new or expanded gas hook-ups in the Pioneer Valley, citing system constraint and offering only a 19-mile 12″ distribution main as a solution, having not been able to draw from the now cancelled NED project.
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Liberty Utilities, NH
Conversion of Keene’s air-propane system to natural gas.
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Vernon, VT
Renewed interest in electric generation development on the VT Yankee nuclear plant site, this time calling for a mix of sources including solar, wind, hydro, battery back-up and possible small-scale gas
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Pieridae Export Terminal, Canada
Goldboro Terminal proposal, Nova Scotia. Renewed call for development of the Goldboro Terminal.
2014 NED Pipeline Route
Senator Bernie Sanders
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CONTACTS
Stephanie Scherr (Fitzwilliam, Troy, Richmond)
Sue Durling (Winchester)
Pat Martin (Rindge)
Our largest campaign is in assisting Monadnock Region communities in defense of their property, health, safety from the proposed Kinder Morgan Northeast Direct (NED) pipeline. All 17 directly impacted towns have written warrant articles and/or resolutions against the pipeline.
Towns on the NED pipeline route are under threat from:
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- Poisoned air and water
- Soil, farms & food irrigated by frack wastewater
- Contaminated drinking water, wells, aquifers, streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands
- Life threatening health impacts to children, families, fracked gas workers
- Increased ‪#climatechange‬ impacts
- Big oil & gas locking us into a fossil fuel future
- Leaks, explosions and the incineration zone
- Environmental impacts, destruction of pristine lands, wildlife habitat, corridors, migration zones and fragmenting wildlife habitat
- The taking of private land, protected and conservation land, state and national parks and historic and private homes, churches and schools by eminent domain
- Loss of insurance coverage of our homes and land due to pipelines, compressor stations, fracking and frackquakes
- Lost value to our homes and land
- Loss of rural community character, scenic vistas
- Loss of peace of mind, quiet, and dark night skies
- Dangerous, poison gas spewing, light emitting, noisy, unsightly compressor and metering stations
- Paying on our utility bills for a pipeline we don't want or need
- 17 directly impacted and countless other impacted towns in NH
- At least 5 directly impacted states: PA, NY, CT, MA, NH
- From elected officials who ignore climate, air, water protection laws
- From the massive financial corporate media spin confusing the public
- From the collusion and deceptive practices of large corporations
- Companies with abhorrent safety records marred by repeated leaks, explosions and other disasters, promising safe, clean energy to uninformed consumers
- Environmental, social, racial, economic, cultural injustice of enormous energy corporations too big and too protected to control
- From unresponsive, unsupportive elected officials tainted by campaign funding from unscrupulous sources! Get the money out of politics!
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Winchester
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KINDER MORGAN, INC has targeted Winchester, NH as a town to locate a fracked gas compressor station. Compressor stations are loud, light up night skies, have "blow downs" where toxic gases are deliberately released into the air putting communities at risk. Further there is mounting evidence that these toxic gases, which cannot be seen or smelled, are often released without knowledge of communities and are only detected by highly sophisticated equipment.
Please read the information below and watch the videos. Check back frequently for updates. Get placed on our email newsletter lists and join your local pipeline action group!
COMPRESSOR STATION REALITY
Proposed sites for a compressor station in Winchester
Learn more about compressor stations. Find more resources. The latest news & events are on our blog.
Troy, Fitzwilliam, Richmond and Winchester are the four most southwestern towns on the pipeline route. Our towns are rural and sparsely populated compared to some. We are stronger together. Come to a meeting, get involved and fight back! To fight this we need all of our neighbors and friends. Grab a friend, tell a neighbor, carpool and join us!
* PDF files of town maps are available through your local town hall or pipeline awareness organizer.
