Deny Columbia Gas’s request for an extension on the Potomac Pipeline.
I am strongly opposed to the proposed Potomac Pipeline in western Maryland. I am writing today to ask that FERC deny Columbia Gas’s request for three more years to build this controversial pipeline.
The risk that this pipeline poses to communities in the region is significant. The pipeline would threaten the drinking water of six million people and set the state back as it moves away from dirty fossil fuels towards a clean energy future.
This pipeline would further contribute to a worsening climate. A comprehensive study released last week warns that the planet is likely to reach the upper bounds of warming unless we act immediately to curb greenhouse gas emissions from gas and other fossil fuels. The more we learn, the more dangerous this pipeline becomes. There isn’t even a tangible need for this pipeline now that Mountaineer has found an alternative gas supply.
The Potomac pipeline does nothing for Maryland — yet it puts Maryland’s communities, natural resources, and the drinking water of millions downstream, at risk. We must stand strong, together, to ensure that the final gasp of companies like Columbia Gas doesn’t poison us for generations to come.
I urge you to deny Columbia Gas’s request for an extension.