Citizens, environmentalists claim victory as Summit cancels Midcoast gas pipeline
Summit Natural Gas on Tuesday rescinded its proposal for a natural gas pipeline expansion project in the midcoast region in a move that local activists and environmental leaders are claiming as a grassroots victory.
The project, which would impact the towns of Belfast, Camden, Lincolnville, Northport, Rockland, Rockport, and Thomaston, had been quietly welcomed by local officials in Rockport and Belfast.
However, opponents made themselves known at a virtual Rockland City Council meeting on Feb. 23 when community members filled the city council’s Zoom meeting to its 100-person capacity with more than 70 additional individuals tuning in to the livestream, the overwhelming majority of whom had attended to speak out against the project.
During public comment on the proposal, environmental arguments in opposition were many-fold, referencing the climate effects of investing in new fossil fuel infrastructure, concerns that the pipeline would carry natural gas extracted through hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” and health and safety concerns related to natural gas pipelines, such as pipeline malfunctions and long-term health effects related to natural gas.
Read more: https://mainebeacon.com/citizens-environmentalists-claim-victory-as-summit-cancels-midcoast-gas-pipeline/