FERC Adds 14th Hearing, Extends Comment Period for NED Pipeline

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zombiesThe Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has buckled to pressure from politicians to schedule yet another scoping hearing in New Hampshire (the third such hearing in tiny NH, the 14th overall), and extend the period for public comments, for the Kinder Morgan Northeast Energy Direct pipeline project that would bring much-needed supplies of abundant, cheap and clean-burning Marcellus/Utica Shale gas to New England (see NH Gov Hassan Asks FERC to Schedule More Hearings for KM Pipeline). Scoping hearings, and written public comments, offer members of the public an opportunity to weigh in with specific concerns about a pipeline’s route. Concerns like, “It will cut through the middle of my hay field during the very time I need to harvest hay next year,” and “Can it please be re-routed away from my back porch–it’s currently planned to pass within 25 feet of my house.” Practical, valid, legitimate concerns folks may have about a project. Instead, small groups of anti-fossil fuel zealots show up to hijack scoping hearings. They’re essentially zombies reading from the same script: pipelines are evil, pipelines don’t create permanent jobs, pipelines don’t benefit the locals, pipelines might blow up, pipelines lead to more fracking, blah blah blah. Their statements are predictable because you hear them at every…single…hearing (we know, we’ve heard them!). Scoping hearings would be better renamed anti-fossil fuel freak shows…

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