What is Project Maple? 

Canadian energy corporation Enbridge plans to expand their AGT pipeline in the Northeast from Ramapo, New York to Salem, Massachusetts, cutting across the entire state of Connecticut from west to east as part of an expansion called Project Maple. This will be the third expansion on this fracked gas pipeline in ten years. Enbridge claims that our region needs more fracked methane to burn on the electric grid and for residential use. Burning methane is worse for the climate than burning coal, and residential methane use is linked to pediatric asthma and other negative health impacts. Since our region is transitioning to clean power for the grid and renewable thermal technologies for home use, it’s clear that Enbridge wants to enlarge gas infrastructure for profit, demonstrating no concern for the planet or people’s health. 

 

Why is Enbridge proposing new gas infrastructure in Coventry?

During the two prior expansions on this line, which were called AIM (2013) and Atlantic Bridge (2015), all fifteen of the metering and regulating (M&R) stations owned by Enbridge in Connecticut (Berlin, Danbury, Farmington, Glastonbury, Guilford, Middletown, Montville, North Haven, Norwich, Plainville, Pomfret, Putnam, Southbury, Vernon and Windham) were enlarged and a new M&R station was built to replace an old one in Norwich. M&R stations reduce pressure on pipelines by venting gas. Based on the history of AGT’s enlargement, bigger and sometimes new M&R stations are needed with each subsequent expansion. 

 

Stop Project Maple Coalition Opposes FERC Approval To No Avail 

Enbridge applied to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in 2023 for authorization to build a new M&R station in Coventry under a permit from 1987 for “routine maintenance.” This is on the E system of AGT. They claimed to need a new M&R station to manage pipeline pressure between the Cromwell Compressor Station and the Chaplin Compressor Station, although the pipeline has been in place for over fifty years and a new station was not needed during the prior two expansions. Our Beyond Gas campaign leapt into action, and guided community members and nonprofits to file formal protests against the construction under an old permit. The protests requested that FERC issue a new permit including a full environmental impact statement and opportunities for public participation, or that they reject the new M&R station outright due to lack of need, health and safety risks, and climate harm. 

 

Although our formal protests triggered a reconciliation period which delayed FERC approval, ultimately FERC decided to approve the new M&R station under a nearly 40 year old permit for “routine maintenance.” Our coalition had already started organizing community members before the M&R station approval, and we’ll continue to organize in all the AGT pipeline affected towns. We met with the Coventry Town Council who rejected a resolution to oppose new methane infrastructure, but plan to reach out to DEEP to demand best available pollution control technology and are considering initiating an air quality monitoring program. 

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More Bad News: Enbridge sues Cambridge, MA and wins

Enbridge continues to build new fracked gas infrastructure in the face of public and sometimes legal opposition. The city of Cambridge, Massachusetts purchased land in Lincoln, Massachusetts to protect the watershed of the Hobbs Brook Reservoir which is part of Cambridge’s drinking water system. Enbridge decided it needed to build an enlarged M&R station on that site, which is on the J-line of their AGT pipeline. Cambridge refused, so Enbridge sued them and won. Enbridge will be allowed to cut trees in the forest and construct a new and enlarged M&R station on state protected land. 

 

Enbridge is a bad neighbor

It is becoming increasingly obvious that Enbridge requires more and bigger M&R stations in advance of Project Maple. The new M&R stations approved in Lincoln, MA and Coventry will be needed to manage a massive increase in gas pipeline capacity subsequent to the Project Maple expansion. Enbridge is doing other construction on this pipeline, all of which appear to be precursors to Project Maple. For example, in Dover and Needham, MA, FERC approved drilling under the Charles River to look for “anomalies” in the pipeline. Enbridge was approved by FERC to drill under the Sakonnet River in Portsmouth and Little Compton, Rhode Island to replace miles of six inch pipe with twelve inch pipe; Enbridge claims this construction is needed due to pipeline “anomalies.” These anomalies were known to exist for ten years but now just prior to the Project Maple expansion, this pipeline replacement is suddenly urgent. This expansion of the AGT is on the G-line in Rhode Island. As proof that Enbridge is a toxic neighbor, it was put under a consent order by Connecticut’s Department of Energy (DEEP) in 2021 for emitting VOCs far in excess of the legal limit of 50 tons per year from its Cromwell compressor station. From about 2014 to about 2018, the Cromwell compressor station was emitting between 60 to nearly 80 tons of VOCs per year; it appears after poisoning the air in Cromwell for many years, they were forced by DEEP to come into compliance. Enbridge sues cities, violates air pollution regulations, and is a climate destroyer. 

 

To get involved with this campaign, please contact Martha Klein.

 

Martha Klein is volunteer Lead of Sierra Club Connecticut’s Beyond Gas Campaign.