Some Berkshire Residents Unimpressed By Pipeline Answers

Berkshire County residents attend an open house at Berkshire Community College about the proposed gas pipeline.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The reception at Tuesday's open house was cordial but residents remain skeptical of Kinder Morgan's proposed natural gas pipeline.

Lanesborough resident Russell Freedman has been spearheading an opposition group in his own community. He said he did not anticipate having any of his questions answered honestly.

"I think there are a lot of problems with the facts they give us, and some are particularly not true," Freedman said. "I think this is a very dangerous project that we don't need."

Freedman was one of more than 100 who perused charts and presentations set up by Kinder Morgan in the Berkshire Community College cafeteria. Company representatives, engineers, builders and operators were on hand to answer questions.

The proposed natural gas pipeline would pass through Cheshire, Dalton, Windsor, Hancock, Hinsdale, Lanesborough and Peru.

Kinder Morgan's Vice President of Public Affairs Allen Fore said the open house was one of 20 meetings, mandated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, along the pipeline route to allow people to speak one on one with Kinder Morgan professionals.

"The company sponsors open houses to allow the public to come in and ask us personally questions," Fore said. "They come in and talk about specifics of the project, see detailed maps, and to ask questions, and we find these to be a good format for one on one discussion."

Fore said the open house serves two purposes: to inform the public and gather information. They are not about changing minds. In fact, a number of opposing groups attended the open house and set up their own informational booths.

"Every one of these that we do we learn something that we didn't know," Fore said. "So they are very helpful from our perspective and we hope they are helpful for the public perspectives."

Kinder Morgan knows its has to understand local issues and concerns if the Northeast Energy Direct Project is to move forward.

"They say politics are local, well pipelines are local, too, and you have to understand what the local issues are," he said. "It doesn't mean that it is going to lead to us to universal support of the project, but I do hope it means that people will see us as committed to transparency and to discussion. They may not agree with that we are saying, but at least know we have the people that can answer the questions."

Although Kinder Morgan had a plethora of information, many Berkshire County residents were hesitant to believe any of the statistics.

Freedman said he has some safety concerns that he does not think will be answered.

"They have to vent these pipes every once in a while, and I am a mile and a half from the route," he said. "I would like to know what comes out, how often does it vent, and is it going to blow in my back yard."

Cheshire Selectman Robert Ciskowski said he thought the presentation was good, but fears there is information being kept from the public.

"I see what they presented and I agree with a lot of it, but I still think there are some things they aren't putting on the boards," Ciskowski said. "This is helpful, and they are doing a great job providing information, but I still think we aren't getting everything." 

Valerie Tallet from Hancock said she is actively trying to raise awareness in her own community about the pipeline.

"Hancock is too beautiful, and I don't really see the need yet," Tallet said. "It's not like anything is going to die if we don't put the pipeline in and I think fracking is horrible."

Hydrofracking is a process in which a chemical liquid is forced into shale to fracture it and release gas. The pipeline will deliver gas from the Marcellus Shale formation, where the process is used.

Tallet said her property is on the proposed route and if the pipeline is constructed, she will most likely move.

"My husband and I will probably move and our property value will plummet because it is on the 'kill zone,' " she said. "We have a beautiful pond and brooks and it is going to go all through that."

Although she is unaffected directly by the pipeline, Anne O'Connor of Williamstown said she attended the meeting to provide information to those who are.

"I came here to try to talk to people that are here for the first time," O'Connor said. "I think this is set up is an obfuscation, and if I were a landowner who has not done the research I have done already, I would find this overwhelming."

Fore said as with any major infrastructure project, opposition was expected from some members of the community.

"Any company that would come into this area and not anticipate a spirited debate and discussion form a macro policy level about future energy supply region to what's it going to do on my property is not a very smart company," he said.

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