CT Advocates Call On Governor Lamont To Stop Gas Expansion

March 31, 2015

Contact
Bianca Sanchez, bianca.sanchez@sierraclub.org

HARTFORD, Conn. – Today, a coalition of environmental organizations, alongside community advocates for climate and energy justice, hosted a press conference at the Legislative Office Building. After, 70 people marched to the Capitol Area System where attendees participated in a die-in, laying on the ground to represent the life-threatening consequences of gas expansion.
The Capitol Area System is a state-owned former co-generation power plant, turned heating and cooling system for state-owned and private buildings around Hartford. At today’s rally, advocates decried the Department of Administrative Services’ recent decision to replace the aging system with another fossil fuel system. The decision conflicts with Governor Lamont’s Executive Order 21-3 that calls for carbon free heating and cooling in state buildings.
Rally attendees also spoke out against efforts to expand a Berkshire Hathaway and TC Energy- owned compressor station in Brookfield. Due to the serious health and safety risks, experts recommend compressor stations stay at least 1.8 miles away from occupied buildings. The existing Brookfield Compressor is located 1,900 feet from the town’s middle school. An air permit, still under review by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), is the final permit remaining before construction can begin.
“We are at an inflection point in our state’s energy transition,” said Alycia Jenkins, Sierra Club Connecticut Organizer. “The facts and the lived experiences of fenceline communities, like Hartford and Brookfield, all point to the economic and health toll of methane gas. Still, Governor Lamont and other state leaders have signaled support for gas expansion that will lock Connecticut into years of high energy costs and poor air quality. Governor Lamont must reverse the CAS Decision, stop the Brookfield Compressor, and do all he can to ensure clean air and affordable, sustainable energy for all Connecticut residents. I'd like us to fight for 30 years to maintain clean energy solutions, not fight 30 plus years trying to achieve them."
“In environmental justice communities, laws and policies are often interpreted differently than in other communities,” said Dr. Mark Mitchell, Co-chair of the CT Equity and Environmental Justice Advisory Council. “As the first Connecticut Governor to talk about environmental justice, Governor Lamont has the opportunity to do the right thing and override the recommendations of the Dept. of Administrative Services, and insist that they follow his Executive Order plans to retrofit all state heating and cooling systems to operate with carbon free energy. DAS should carry out the Governor’s Executive Order as intended. This is especially needed for Hartford residents, who suffer disproportionately from asthma and other diseases associated with the pollution from state facilities and policies”
“Hartford residents are not going to allow another fossil fuel, gas fired plant opened up in the city of Hartford,” said Attorney Cynthia Jennings. “We urge Governor Lamont to veto the DAS study and utilize geothermal technology in CAS”