Faith Leaders Call for FERC to Deny Plan to Expand Fracked Gas Pipeline
- Interfaith coalition of religious and spiritual leaders from across Pacific Northwest call on FERC to protect health of communities
- GTN Pipeline expansion threatens to expose communities to millions of tons of emissions annually
WHAT
Hundreds of faith and spiritual leaders, representing diverse communities and faith traditions, issued a sign-on letter this week that calls on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to deny a proposed expansion of the Gas Transmission Northwest XPress gas pipeline.
With more than 300 signees hailing from across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, this letter comes at a particularly urgent time: FERC could decide to allow TC Energy, the owner of the pipeline, to move forward with an expansion as early as May 18. Faith leaders who signed onto the letter expressed concern not only for the increased emissions that Washington, Oregon, and Idaho communities could be exposed to, but also to the potential for upwards of 660 new fracked gas wells to be drilled across Indigenous land across British Columbia.
In a season marking numerous religious observances, including Lent, Purim, Holi, Ramadan, and Easter, signees ask FERC to prioritize the health and wellbeing of Pacific Northwest communities and of our common home, Earth.
WHY
The proposed pipeline expansion threatens more than just the health of local communities but instead our very way of life. Indigenous communities, who have called the Pacific Northwest home for time immemorial, now face an increased threat to their sovereignty and the very land they have stewarded for generations.
All of this is threatened, especially egregious in a time where demand for natural gas has begun to drop among US consumers.
QUOTES
“As people of faith, we are called to protect our most vulnerable, all of whom will be put in harm’s way should this proposal be accepted,” said Rev. AC Churchill, Executive Director of Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light. “We call on FERC to protect our communities by denying the GTN XPress pipeline expansion.”
“We’re glad Oregon and Washington have made strong climate commitments and policies in recent years,” said Cherice Bock, creation justice advocate at Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and leader of Oregon Interfaith Power & Light. “We call on our leaders and officials in our states to do what we say we want to do. Expanding capacity of this pipeline will emit more greenhouse gasses, causing pollution that harms public health, and destroying the community of life in our region. Now is the time to live up to our commitments by stopping this pipeline expansion.”