During the last week of September Sierra Club of Connecticut organized two powerful events in opposition to the proposed expansion of fracked gas pipelines in the state. On September 23, the researchers who completed a study on the health impacts of the fracked gas compressor station in Brookfield, CT presented their findings at an event at the Brookfield library. The corporations that own the compressor station – TC Energy and Berkshire Hathaway – want to double the size of the facility. One of the biggest concerns is that the town's middle school is just 1900 feet away from the compressor station.

 

About 30 people attended the event including Marty Foncello, the State Rep for Brookfield, two of the town's Selectmen, and the principal of the middle school. The researchers did an amazing job of breaking down the different emissions that come from the compressor station and how they impact people's health. They also provided some recommendations for advocacy. The event wrapped up with a discussion about how the community can fight the proposed expansion. After the meeting, the Representative Marty Foncello published this op-ed calling on the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to reject the permit for the expansion.

 

Then on September 24, Sierra Club Connecticut and other groups organized a rally at the State House in Hartford calling on Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, and DEEP to reject all permits for Enbridge's Project Maple Pipeline expansion, and for the proposed compressor station expansion in Brookfield. 

 

Over 50 people attended the midday rally. After hearing from some speakers we marched to the Governor's office and then to DEEP's office and delivered a letter signed by over 30 elected and appointed officials in Connecticut calling on the Governor and DEEP to publicly oppose Project Maple and the Brookfield compressor station expansion. The rally received lots of great media coverage, including this article, and this news broadcast.