I am calling on them to withdraw this project immediately.” Racial and environmental justice go hand-in-hand, and National Grid has failed to clearly demonstrate that this pipeline is needed to keep New Yorkers warm and safe. Today, I am voicing my opposition to National Grid’s North Brooklyn Pipeline because we cannot justify the environmental impacts on the largely Black and Brown residents of Brooklyn associated with an unnecessary pipeline expansion.
“Climate change is an existential threat to our city and we must transition quickly to clean energy. Opponents hope the mayor’s office will ultimately block permits for the next phases of construction. Construction is currently paused on the expansion of a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility in Greenpoint, to allow for a review of gas system planning by the state. Legally, National Grid has the right of way to build the pipeline. But while the statement from the Mayor is encouraging, opponents of the pipeline hope that his words will be followed up with action. Opposition efforts were bolstered last week with a statement from Mayor de Blasio and several elected officials. The National Grid Depot in Maspeth, Queens No North Brooklyn Pipeline, a coalition of various local organizations including Sane Energy Project, Brownsville Residents Green Committee, and Newtown Creek Alliance, points out that the pipeline is a transmission pipeline that “will not service the affected community where the already trafficked main thoroughfares and already stressed trucking routes for local businesses will be dug up.” Instead, they see the pipeline as a project carried out simply “to charge us, the rate-payers, millions of dollars in rate hikes to fill their share-holders pockets.” The opposition also refutes National Grid’s claims that the pipeline will have a positive impact on the communities it runs through. Map by FracTracker Alliance and Sane Energy ProjectLocal residents and activists however have stated that they didn’t know about the pipeline’s true purpose until this year, and claim there has been no dialogue between National Grid and the affected communities. The company promises to “maintain an open and proactive dialogue about the project with our neighbors and our partners in the local communities.”
On its website, National Grid lists “a safer, more reliable and resilient natural gas system” as one of the benefits of the project, along with “increased capacity in a gas constrained area…economic growth and local investment” and the acceleration of their Gas Main Replacement Program. National Grid says the fifth phase of construction began in March 2020, but reports say it is currently on pause. The pipeline begins across from the Brownsville Playground Athletic Field and Recreational CenterĪlmost six miles of pipeline have already been completed in the first four phases of construction. Mayor de Blasio stated last week that he opposes the pipeline “because we cannot justify the environmental impacts on the largely Black and Brown residents of Brooklyn associated with an unnecessary pipeline expansion.” The fight against the North Brooklyn Pipeline is one of many New Yorkers have fought, and will continue to fight, as climate change increasingly affects our everyday lives. Officially named The Metropolitan Natural Gas Reliability Project, but more commonly known as the North Brooklyn Pipeline, the project’s goal as stated by National Grid is to “improve Brooklyn’s natural gas system by increasing the system’s safety, reliability, and operational flexibility.” Those who oppose the pipeline, however, fear it will bring increased health and environmental risks to already disenfranchised neighborhoods. A controversial underground project is nearing completion in Brooklyn, but fierce opposition from local residents and elected officials, now including Mayor de Blasio, may hinder its progress.
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