Today, 45 state and local elected officials sent a letter to Governor Healey, calling on her to take an early stance against Enbridge’s dangerous proposed fracked gas pipeline expansion, dubbed Project Maple, by committing to denying any upcoming permits for the project.

More than 90 environmental groups are opposed to the proposal, which would significantly expand the amount of fracked gas transmitted through the Algonquin Pipeline, undermining state climate goals. Massachusetts’ 2050 Decarbonization Roadmap and the Massachusetts Clean Heat Commission both call for prioritizing clean energy, not more gas. The Department of Public Utilities agrees – their December 2023 order acknowledges the need to move beyond gas. 

“We hope that Governor Healey, having run for office on her stand against gas transmission pipeline projects, will be willing to stand with the brave officials who signed this letter,” said Rosemary Wessel, Program Director of No Fracked Gas in Mass. “Opposing any state permits for Project Maple, if it reaches the stage of being filed for approval, would be entirely in keeping with her administration’s focus on climate and the state’s continuing pressure on local gas distributors to move to clean energy alternatives.”

“As mothers, grandmothers and others concerned about the climate we are leaving to the next generation, we were eager to discuss Project Maple with our elected officials. These early conversations about the detrimental impact of new pipelines are crucial. Our state and local elected officials signed a letter fully supporting the notion that expanding gas infrastructure is not the path to a clean energy future in our state,” said Andra Rose, a Mothers Out Front volunteer from Amherst, “and we expect Governor Healey to do the same.”

Food & Water Watch Senior Organizer Nisha Swinton said: “The clock is ticking to move off fossil fuels and make good on Massachusetts’s bold Decarbonization Roadmap. Enbridge’s fracked gas expansion proposal will take us in the wrong direction. We are proud to stand with elected officials throughout the state in demanding Governor Healey come out against this dangerous project. Healey must commit to denying all state permits for Enbridge’s last ditch fossil fuel expansion.”

“Over her tenure as governor, Maura Healey has made decisions that protect our environment and our pocketbook from unjustified fossil fuel expansions,” said Sierra Club Massachusetts Chapter Director Vick Mohanka. “We hope she can make a similar stand here to stop an unnecessary methane pipeline that is bad for our health and Commonwealth.”