Citizens Against the Rehoboth Compressor (CARCS)

10/22/2017 Press Release: Yesterday Newton Mayor and candidate for State Governor Setti Warren toured the site of the proposed Rehoboth Compressor Station at Poncin Hewitt Field and spoke out against any new gas expansion proposals.

Although Enbridge Inc has yet to reapply with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) since they withdrew their Access Northeast in June, Citizens Against the Rehoboth Compressor (CARCS) has not slowed down one bit. Instead of pulling down their signs to wait for the next battle, CARCS has been asking residents to keep their signs up and to add more! Over the summer months, CARCS has continued their community outreach at the Attleboro Farmers Market and elsewhere, collecting signatures to press Governor Baker to stop supporting any new gas pipeline projects. One of their most recent efforts to help protect residents from a compressor station should they reapply, has been to draft Article 5: Compressor Station bylaw 4.11, which is on the warrant for a special Rehoboth Town Meeting vote on November 6th."The bylaws would contain safety regulations that would protect the town if this compressor does end up being built," said CARC S member attorney Brian Hatch from Attleboro.

“You can’t imagine how excited we were, when Mayor Setti Warren reached out to CARCS to meet with us and to tour the compressor station location” said CARCS director, Tracy Manzella. “It is always gratifying when our policy makers show us they are listening, and that they are concerned”, she continued. “This is a complex issue, and every candidate for Governor should take the time necessary to get the facts about the numerous negative impacts to our state and its citizens should these gas projects go through.”

Yesterday Mayor Warren expressed how important it was for him to come to the actual location and see how completely inappropriate and damaging an industrial facility would be in this residential neighborhood. Indeed, it was a beautiful fall day, and the Poncin Hewitt fields were brimming with families watching their children playing sports. “I think the Attorney General is right on point”, said Mayor Warren, “not only are these pipeline projects not beneficial from a ratepayer’s standpoint, there are huge adverse effects for this community- it’s wrong. The Governor should come down here and see this, listen, and make a decision based on what is in the best interest of the people he works for.”