REMINDER: Pipeline Coalition Meeting Monday in Peabody

By ADAM SWIFT (Patch Staff)

A reminder to residents that there are several important dates coming up this week concerning the proposed Kinder Morgan pipeline project through parts of northern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire.

The Pipeline Coalition, a group of local cities and towns affected by the pipeline project, is scheduled to hold its monthly meeting on Monday, August 10 at 10 a.m. at Peabody City Hall.

The monthly meetings are an opportunity for the communities to share news with the larger group, according to Bob Croce of Peabody Citizens United, a local group opposed to the Kinder Morgan pipeline project.

Peabody Citizens United is encouraging those concerned about the project to attend the Federal Regulatory Energy Commission (FERC), scoping meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 7 p.m. at Dracut Senior High School, at 1540 Lakeview Ave in Dracut.

This will be an opportunity for residents to relay their concerns about the Kinder Morgan pipeline project’s impact on Peabody and surrounding communities.

There will be a panel of FERC staff to hear comments from all parties. These are usually limited to three minutes and there is no back and forth discussion with FERC, but Peabody Citizens United officials said it is a chance to have face time with FERC, and express concerns about the local impact of a pipeline running by local homes, water supply and conservation land.

In January, Wilmington’s Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to oppose the Kinder Morgan/Tennessee Gas Company’s proposed pipeline through Wilmington, adding them to a list of dozens of communities throughout the state opposed to the line’s construction.

Construction of the gas line could affect a dozen different neighborhoods in Wilmington, Tewksbury and North Reading, including Hathaway Acres, Apollo Park, Martins Brook, Lucaya Circle, Cold Spring Road, Crestwood Drive, Damon Street and other areas in town. It would cross through many yards, while also cutting a 75 foot swath through Apollo Park. If built the project would be one of the highest operating pressure gas lines in New England.

The pipeline proposed by Kinder Morgan and the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company originates in New York and passes through western Massachusetts before traveling through a number of New Hampshire and Massachusetts communities and then terminating in Dracut. The goal of the project is to expand natural gas energy capabilities to the Northeast.