In 2023, Enbridge, a pipeline and energy company announced their goal to supply clean and natural gas to New England by expanding a gas pipeline that runs through New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
The expansion, known as “Project Maple,” will consist of taking the old pipeline out and then replacing it with a “larger diameter” pipe, according to the proposal. However, no concrete actions have been taken yet to go forward with this plan as Enbridge has not filed any projects under the title “Project Maple” with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, according to the Stop Project Maple website, which was created by several climate organizations around New England coming together to fight Enbridge’s plan in an effort known as Stop Project Maple.
According to Sydney Collins, a member of Stop Project Maple, the group is working to stop the expansion of the pipeline due to the negative impacts it will have on the environment and surrounding communities.
The group is concerned that work on the pipeline will release large amounts of methane that could be harmful, according to Collins.
“There’s so many ways in which this pipeline will expose communities to more methane, such as in the construction process, in the natural leaks of pipeline infrastructure, and through the compression and regulation stations. A part of the process sometimes to regulate methane is to release methane into the air as a way to release pressure. So that has a lot of exposure to methane for communities,” Collins said.
Collins explained that research has proven that this release of methane hurts the local health of communities and the environment.
The group is also concerned that the expansion of these pipelines will hurt Connecticut’s greenhouse gas reduction act, also known as the Global Warming Solutions Act, according to Collins. The act was passed in 2008 and then updated in 2018 which created a mandatory emissions reduction target of 45% below 2001 levels by 2030, according to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
“If we expand fossil fuel infrastructure, that goes against our state reduction goals. It’s completely ridiculous that we’re still looking towards fossil fuel expansion projects to support our utility customers. Connecticut does not need more fossil fuel expansion for so many reasons,” Collins said.
Collins represents Sunrise New Haven, a group that fights for climate change. She got involved with Stop Project Maple after hearing that the pipeline runs through Coventry, Conn., which is where her family lives.
“This is super personal, the involvement for me, as I’m trying to defend where my family lives,” Collins said.
The pipeline also runs through Mansfield, Conn., according to Collins, and has the potential to affect the University of Connecticut community.
Collins encourages the UConn and Mansfield community to take action and pay attention to what is happening.
“I would just say people should take big calls to action like follow our Instagram, stay updated with the status of Project Maple. What are opportunities to get involved? See who’s having a protest or writing an article or just talk to your families. Go as far as talking to your legislators,” Collins said.
Stop Project Maple holds biweekly meetings on Tuesdays at 4 p.m. and more information can be found on the Stop Project Maple website.