ACTIVIST TOOLS FOR PIPELINE FIGHTERS
» TOWN RESOLUTIONS, ORDINANCES, BY-LAWS
» Climate Action & Resilience Plans
» United Church of Christ petition against Weymouth Compressor
» Petition to Ban New Natural “Fracked” Gas Pipelines and to Champion Sustainable Energy
Massachusetts, 2014 (Now Closed)
• INFORMATIONAL VIDEOS
» PRESENTATIONS
» Solutions Rising Pipeline Series
» Stories from Affected Towns
» At What Cost? Pipelines, Pollution and Eminent Domain in the Rural South
• Survey Permission Letters
These letters can be used to deny permission for infrastructure companies to survey land for their project (see a sample letter requesting survey). Not having detailed surveys can hinder their ability to file a complete project application (particularly useful for pipelines, but possibly useful for other projects). Always make sure to send to the land agent for the project by REGISTERED MAIL, so you have confirmation of receipt. This becomes important if surveyors show up saying you’re on their list as having granted permission, or if you later need to challenge them in court.
LANDOWNER LETTERS:
— Deny Permission to Survey – Landowner
— Rescind Permission to Survey – Landowner
— Extended Deny Permission Survey Letter, citing reasons, Cc’ing officials
MUNICIPALITY LETTERS (for municipally-owned properties):
— Deny Permission to Survey – City — EDITABLE TEMPLATE – Deny Permission to Survey – City (MS Word doc)
— Rescind Permission to Survey – City
— EDITABLE TEMPLATE – Rescind Permission to Survey – City (MS Word doc)
— Rescind Permission to Survey – Town Select Board (for town-owned properties)
Other approaches:
— Town of Lynnfield’s amended request letter for permission to survey
— No Survey Yard Sign
— No Trespass / Survey Yard Sign
INFO GUIDES
» How to File As An Intervenor at FERC
Presentation of MassPLAN, StopNED and No Fracked Gas in Mass
» Physicians for Social Responsibility Releases Report on “Climate and Health Risks of Liquified Natural Gas”
11/26/2019
» Pipeline Failure Incident Maps
from Pipeline Safety Trust
» Potential Impact Radius (PIR) Chart
from Pipeline Safety Trust
» Pipeline Emergency Response Guidelines (2017 Edition)
from the Pipeline Association for Public Awareness
» Oil and Gas at Your Door? A Landowner’s Guide to Oil and Gas Development
from Earthworks Action – 2005 Edition
» US Protest Law Tracker
In some states, it’s now a felony to protest “critical infrastructure” like pipelines. This is an interactive state by state map to track both proposed and enacted protest laws. Seems to be very current – update dates published near the top of the page.
» WEBINARS
REGULATORY AGENCIES
» FERC – Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
—— FERC Enforcement Hotline
» PHMSA Regulations – Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Administration
In 2015, NTSB published a safety study titled Integrity Management of Gas Transmission Pipelines in High Consequence Areas (https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-studies/Pages/SS1501.aspx). The NTSB undertook this study because of concerns about deficiencies in the operators’ integrity management programs and the oversight of these programs by PHMSA and state regulators.
» DOT – Department of Transportation
— DOT NPMS
The National Pipeline Mapping System contains information about hazardous liquid and gas transmission pipelines under the jurisdiction of US DOT
» Massachsuetts DPU – Department of Public Utilities
Search MA DPU Docket by File Number
ON-THE-GROUND RESOURCE ORGANIZATIONS
» FracTracker Alliance – Information on oil & gas drilling, sorted by topic and region (including bans and moratoria!)
— FracTracker Oil & Gas Drilling 101
» EarthWorks Action – Specializing in optical gas imaging and aiding frontline communities
— Community Empowerment Project
RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS
» Environmental Health Project Research and Fact Sheets
LEGAL ORGANIZATIONS
» National Lawyers’ Guild
— “Operation Backfire”, A Survival Guide for Environmental and Animal Rights Activists
— “A Tilted Guide to Being a Defendant”
» ACLU – American Civil Liberties Union
— “Know Your Rights: What to do if your rights are violated at a demonstration or protest”
» PipeLine Awareness Network for the Northeast (PLAN-NE)