Stop the Gas Leaks Campaign Hosts Community Forums in Springfield and Northampton
Date: Thursday, June 2
5 pm in Springfield
Trinity Church, 361 Summer Ave.
7:30 pm in Northampton
Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence, 220 Main St.
With Ania Camargo: Home Energy Efficiency Team (HEET MA) Board of Directors and Mothers Out Front member. Ania is a leader in the campaign to repair gas leaks in the Greater Boston area.
“Natural gas leaks are potentially explosive, harm the health of humans and trees, and the major component, methane, is a potent contributor to global warming,” said Dr. Marty Nathan. “Gas distributors have complained about lack of natural gas supply… Yet for decades old, leaky pipes have been wasting nearly 3% of what is delivered. And that lost gas has been paid for by customers.”
The Springfield Climate Justice Coalition (SCJC) & Arise for Social Justice who are working together to get the 500+ gas leaks in Springfield plugged, will host the Springfield event. With over ninety gas leaks in Northampton the neighborhood group TwoDegrees, Climate Action Now, Mothers Out Front and the Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence Climate Action Group will host the Northampton forum.
The campaign is working directly with Columbia Gas CEO Stephen Bryant, calling for real time information on the volume of gas lost, the cost to rate payers and for a plan by Columbia Gas to fix the leaks. All are encouraged to attend the Springfield City Council Meeting on Monday June 6th at 7 PM (36 Court Street) to support passage of a resolution calling for legislation against gas leaks.
For Springfield information, contact Jesse Lederman, Environmental Organizer at ARISE, at 413-351-6785. For Northampton, contact Dr. Marty Nathan at 413-531-9915.
