Braintree Pays $20K For Air Quality Monitors At Fore River Plant

BRAINTREE, MA — Braintree will contribute $20,000 to help pay for an air quality monitoring system near the controversial natural gas plant along the Fore River.

Mayor Charles Kokoros said the money will help the activist group Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station (FRRACS), detect harmful chemicals produced by the plant and monitor overall air quality in the river basin's communities, including Braintree, Weymouth, Quincy and Hingham.

Residents and elected officials in Braintree, Hingham, Quincy and Weymouth have expressed concern and have opposed Enbridge's compressor station. Elected officials, including U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, also came out against the plant after an emergency shut down where 265,000 cubic feet of natural gas was released at the facility. There have been numerous protests outside the plant's constructions site and several arrests.

But Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs spokesperson Katie Gronendyke said upon the final approval that the project met all state and federal safety regulations, and that the project had passed air-quality testing impact assessments. Enbridge has also maintained that safety is their priority.

With state regulators approving the plant, Braintree joined Quincy, Hingham, the Ten Persons Group and the Ten Citizens Group in appealing the plant's approval from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection in federal court. The motion was filed last month in the U.S. 1st District Court of Appeals.

"It is important that the communities impacted by the compressor station continue to work together and remain vigilant in order to protect the health and safety of our residents," Kokoros said. "FRRACS has been a strong advocate and ally as we continue our efforts to stop the compressor station and, with the support of BEMA, together we will be able to hold Enbridge accountable for any excess pollutants resulting from its operation. This system will provide the town with the information we need to make certain that residents closest to the compressor station in East Braintree are not at risk due to air pollution produced by the compressor station and to initiate all necessary legal action to ensure compliance with the regulations."

The air quality monitoring system will be stationed in Braintree. Town officials and Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station will use the data collected to ensure the pollutants do not exceed the legal limits set forth by the Clean Air Act in the Fore River basin, Kokoros said.

"Mayor Kokoros recognizes the legacy of pollution in the basin and how it affects the citizens of Braintree and beyond,” said FRRACS President Alice Arena. "We are very happy to be working with the mayor and the Town of Braintree on this project to bring essential information to those most impacted and to use this as an educational tool on environmentalism."

The resident group will cover the remaining cost of the air quality monitoring system for Braintree, as well as for other impacted communities, through available grant funding.