Say NO to fossil fuels in Rhode Island

Now is the time to speak out at a public forum and online.

Enbridge wants to grow fossil fuels in Rhode Island by expanding its fracked gas pipeline that runs under the Sakonnet River and renewing the operating permit for its toxic fracked gas pipeline compressor station in Burrillville, Rhode Island.

We know we don't need more fossil fuels in our state! Take action to tell state agencies that you don't want more fracked gas in your state:

• Attend a public hearing: On Wednesday, April 10 at 5:30 p.m., there will be a public hearing at the Jesse M. Smith Memorial Library in Burrillville. Come to the hearing and tell the Department of Environmental Management you oppose the renewal of Enbridge's compressor station operation permit.

• Submit a public comment: If you can't make the hearing, public comments on the compressor station permit renewal can be submitted by April 19. Email comments to aleida.whitney@dem.ri.gov.

• You can also submit a comment opposing the Sakonnet River pipeline expansion. Those comments are due April 30 and should be emailed to jabbruzzese@crmc.ri.gov and cstaff1@crmc.ri.gov with “2023-10-104” in the subject line. Some talking points for comments are:

  • The fact that Rhode Island, like most other New England states, has net zero emissions climate goals makes this project unnecessary. Investment in infrastructure means a commitment to decades more of gas use or stranded assets if the system becomes disused before its end of life.

  • Enbridge, owner of the Algonquin Gas Transmission system, claims the purpose of this project is increased reliability, but doubling the diameter of a pipeline increases its capacity by nearly 400%. We do not need increased fossil fuel capacity in Rhode Island, but the opposite. If needed, lower risk repair, such as re-lining of the existing pipeline should be pursued, rather than expansion

  • Installing a new pipeline under the river is an environmental risk that is not warranted, given the need to transition away from fossil fuels. Enbridge has a bad record with horizontal directional drilling. Its Line 3, built in 2021, had 28 frac-outs when under construction.