NH RGGI Frontline Coalition meets with DES, requests info session before transition to new administr

CONCORD, NH - ECHO Action's Stephanie Scherr, Pat Martin, Laura Lynch and Anne DiCicco along with pipeline opponents Doug Whitbeck and Richard Husband and Toxics Action Center's Katelyn Parady, attended a meeting at NH Department of Environmental Services today. They met with PUC Commissioner Robert Scott, DES Commissioner Tom Burack, DES Assistant Commissioner Clark Freise, DES Director of Air Resources Craig Wright and Joe Fontaine, DES Emissions Reduction Trading Programs.

Each member of the group shared how the NED pipeline impacted their community, what they've learned and how we have been moving forward since the pipeline was withdrawn.

Toxics Action Center is leading the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) states (CT, DE, ME, MD, MA, NH, NY, RI, VT) in working towards strengthening RGGI legislation. The asks are for a public information session before the program review ends, held at an hour that working people can attend, support a 5% emissions cap and to invest in low income energy efficiency.

Katelyn stressed that behind the group in front of them were many more interested and engaged community members who would attend the information session and support maintaining RGGI legislation in NH and improving it if possible.

The group stressed that an information session now, before the transition to a new administration, could ensure further engagement from those leaving office and educate those coming in, stressing the excessive expense of climate for Granite Staters should we not act.

Suggestions for locations included Manchester or Concord, centrally located to the state. DES representatives offered to respond by the end of next week.