North Quabbin Pipeline Action Meeting
June 23, 2014
Athol Town Hall
Ivan Ussach opened the meeting and asked people to introduce themselves. 25-30 people
attended over the course of the meeting.
Signs and Buttons
Two-sided“No Fracked Gas” signs are $5. 250 are in circulation, and 250 more are ready.
One sided “Stop the Pipeline” are hand stenciled and free.
500 Buttons were just delivered. They are $1
Bumper Stickers will be ordered in a day or two
Contact renelake@msn.com
Some towns require a group to have a permit to erect signs.
Letter Writing
Maureen Blasco distributed a second form letter for dissemination to interested parties as a
model. This letter summarizes the key points of the “Right-Sizing” letter discussed below.
North Quabbin Pipeline Action is one of over 100 energy and environmental organizations
which have signed a “Right-Sizing Infrastructure” letter to the six New England governors
detailing the need to consider a full range of alternatives to meeting energy needs before
defaulting to a publicly-financed pipeline which may be unnecessary.
Statewide Organizing
A group representing towns across the state affected by proposed pipeline met in May, and a
more formal structure may emerge soon. Ivan Ussach, Mary King (Orange), Janice Kurkoski
(Warwick), Maureen Blasco (Royalston) and Moonlight Davis (Erving) attended the first
statewide meeting in May. (Note: Rene Lake Gagliardi from Athol was unable to attend). An
informal coalition formed and working groups were set up to start work.
A team of lawyers, including Katy Eiseman of No Fracked Gas in Mass, and an attorney working
on behalf of Mt. Grace, has been working collaboratively to help landowners and activists
address the pipeline issue. They anticipate their services will be needed when/if KM files with
the DPU to get access to people’s property to survey.
Rolling March: The Events working group has started to work on a rolling statewide March in
the month of July, starting in Richmond on July 6, and ending in Dracut on July 26. Mary King is
our central region point person. The western region lags the central and east. People are
encouraged to make contacts with anyone they know in the central area to help participation.
We discussed the need to address permits required for each town, and how community
response teams in surrounding towns might be willing to support this. A parchment declaration
will be carried from town to town for people to sign. Manny will ask Peter to write the
declaration and Manny has a friend who can do calligraphy.
A July 30 rally at the statehouse is also in the works, but that needs more organizing. We hope
to have 10,000 signatures on the petition at that time. That is well within reach as 9300 have
already signed.
Bike Rally/Climate Summer – Climate350MA is planning a bike ride along a similar route, which
will also be in the July. They will be filming this event and want to talk to landowners. They are
looking to stay in churches in the area. We should help publicize this event.
Local actions
Maureen reports Royalston has many activities which have happened or are scheduled. Joe
Shortsleeve from Channel 4 will visit this week to learn more about the pipeline. MJ Galat will
also attend to talk about Winchendon issues, specifically the church’s geothermal field.
MJ reports Winchendon continues to schedule letter-writing sessions for landowners and
others. They also have a good process for getting letters to the editor in the local papers. The
selectmen established a committee to look into the pipeline and report back to them.
Athol could be more organized, but Rene Lake and Darlene Lawlor will talk more about this.
Letters have been sent to landowners in Warwick by Betsy Alkins and Orange by Mary King, but
there could be more outreach and a possible landowners meeting in towns.
Conway Landowner Meeting
Ken Berthiaume attended this meeting where a team of lawyers advised landowners to be
ready to respond to the DPU quickly. They should plan in advance and be ready to express
what their objections are and how they could be damaged. They advise responding to the DPU
promptly, and if there is a hearing, hire an attorney. The power of the DPU to grant access to
KM for the types of survey they want to do may be in question and will be explored further.
A rescind letter is available for anyone who regrets granting their permission. It appears no
surveys have been conducted to date.
Other notes
David Starr mentioned his experiences with Yankee Rowe and encouraged the group to stay
strong and committed. He feels it would be good to mark each place where the proposed route
crosses a road with a sign saying “Stop the Pipeline HERE.” He would be willing to erect the
signs if they were available.
Lisa Rhodes of Orange who works in Greenfield challenged the group to provide more facts for
people like herself who want to understand both sides of the story. She hears a lot of propipeline talk from union members and wants to form an intelligent opinion based on facts.
Pat Larson reported meeting new Secretary of Environment Affairs Maeve Vallely-Bartlett at a
ribbon cutting for a solar farm in Warren which will benefit Orange and asking her about the
pipeline. Pat’s impression was that the Secretary provided a stock, evasive answer. A group of
pipeline activists have a meeting scheduled with the Secretary in Boston on July 15. Janice
Kurkoski (Warwick – NQPA) is part of the group meeting with the Secretary along with Jane
Winn (BEAT), Katy Eiseman (No FrackedGas in Mass), Ken Hartlett (Nashoba Land Trust) and
perhaps one other person.
Pat Larson passed around a proposed fact sheet/flyer for distribution in public places.
Various people are working to get the Massachusetts gubernatorial candidates to take
positions against the pipeline.
Next meeting not yet scheduled.