Protesters marched back and forth on Friday in front the building in which Kinder Morgan has an office.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — More than a dozen picketers paced back in forth in front of the Crawford Square building on North Street midday on Friday to send the message that they don't want the proposed natural gas pipeline.

 

Kinder Morgan, which has an office in that building, is proposing a $3.3 billion project to transport gas from the Marcellus Shale in Western New York through the Berkshires and off to Maine.

 

The proposed path includes Lanesborough, into Cheshire, Dalton, Hinsdale, Windsor, and Peru as well as many other towns in Massachusetts and New York.

 

The project to install the 30-inch diameter pressurized line is currently in the federal permitting process and proponents say the natural gas is needed to offset the loss of nuclear and coal plants that have shut down in the Northeast. The extra gas is thought by those in favor of the project to lower utility costs.

 

Opponents, however, have been out in full force with an array of concerns. Whether it is the drinking water supply and watersheds being threatened by the path, or impacts of the expansion of renewable energy sources, health concerns from the chemicals, to noise and pollution, opposition has been fierce in places in the Berkshires. 

 

"We're here to protest the pipeline and to push for renewable energy policies in Massachusetts," said Judy Eddy, of 350 Mass Berkshire, just one of the groups formed to fight the proposal.

 

"We're opposed to it. It is not needed. We don't need this gas in Massachusetts. We don't need it in the region. We need to get off of dirty energy and get to clean energy," 

 

Eddy was joined with others in an effort to raise awareness among residents about the issues. She contested the idea that the proposal will lower the cost of gas and that it is needed.

 

"There are so many gas leaks that are not being fixed. If we fixed those gas leaks, we certainly would not need this. All of that gas is being wasted," Eddy said.

 

Cheryl Rose is especially concerned with the environmental impacts the project poses. She said compression stations release toxic levels of carcinogenic gases, the burning of fracked gas pollutes the environmental, and the plan would destroy all the efforts and monetary sacrifice the state put toward protecting Article 97 land. 

 

"Pipelines like this are killing the green energy economy of Massachusetts. This is one of the fastest growing sectors in our economy and a job creating economy that we need to support and not squelch by taking rate-payers money for things like this," Rose added.

 

Eddy said the groups are also planning to protest outside of Berkshire Gas, a company that has been supportive of the project. 

 

In all, Rose says she wants more people to be active in the process.

 

"We're hoping to get more people inspired to step up and contact their legislators, contact the governor, because the big money influences have tremendous power," she said.