Pipeline Protesters Stage Sit In At Enbridge Office In Waltham

WALTHAM, MA — Protesters opposing a compressor and pipeline project staged a sit in at the Waltham offices of a Canadian pipeline company responsible for the largest inland oil spill in the US.

Police arrived around noon to get the protesters out of the building for trespassing, police said, noting it was ongoing as of 3:45 p.m. and there weren't any arrests as of yet.

Enbridge is working on the Atlantic Bridge project, which stretches the company's natural gas pipelines from New Jersey into Canada. Those opposed to the pipeline and specifically the proposed compressor set for Weymouth have argued since 2015 that the station presents health and safety risks.

Video from a Twitter user named @ashtheelf shows protesters brought signs to the Winter Street building in an effort to oppose the company's Weymouth compressor and Line 3 Pipeline projects.

The 17 protestors said they would not leave the office until Enbridge shuts down the Weymouth Compressor and ceases construction on Line 3 in Minnesota, according to a tweet from a WBUR reporter.

This protest comes after President Biden dismissed the chance to block federal permits from the Line 3 Pipeline Project, despite pressure from environmental groups and going against the President's environmental goals. Keeping these projects running was a surprising decision from the President since he had blocked the Keystone XL Pipeline Project earlier this month.

The Line 3 Replacement Project is also a proposed pipeline expansion by Enbridge that will bring nearly a million barrels of tar sands per day from Alberta, Canada to Superior, Wisconsin. But since its proposal in 2014, many have expressed their disappointment.

Jane Fonda, an actress known for her activism, weighed in on Twitter.

"I am sickened and deeply disappointed that President Biden has given the go-ahead to Enbridge Line 3 in Minnesota," she said. "This belies his promises on the campaign trail to follow science and stop new fossil fuel development and cut our carbon emissions in half by 2030."

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