A coalition of Brooklyn community groups called on the Biden administration Monday to pull the plug on National Grid’s new gas pipeline in the borough, charging that it will disproportionately impact the health of local residents of color.
The coalition, which is being led by Brownsville Green Justice, a group that’s long been opposed to National Grid’s so-called “Metropolitan Natural Gas Reliability Project,” made the demand in a civil rights complaint filed with the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The complaint alleges National Grid violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by routing the pipeline through predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods, including Brownsville, Ocean Hill and Bushwick, while keeping local residents in the dark about the size of the project and potential risk for hazardous gas leaks.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation — which signed off on the National Grid development — is accused in the complaint of being “complicit in this discrimination.”
“This pipeline is just another example of how communities of color that have historically borne the burden of environmental racism continue to pay the price,” said Fabian Rogers, a Brownsville resident and member of the Brownsville Green Justice group. “The only solution to this current problem is to stop the flow of the gas.”
The federal government helped bankroll construction of the pipeline, and the community groups say that gives President Biden’s administration the authority to block it from being used pending a new environmental review. The groups say they would also like the feds to order a “full and fair” review for alternative pipeline routes.
Representatives for National Grid and the Department of Environmental Conservation did not immediately return requests for comment.
The 7-mile pipeline is slated to snake its way from the southern parts of Brownsville to the northern reaches of Greenpoint. Construction on the pipeline began in 2017 and the first four sections of it are already operational.
National Grid plans to build a fifth and final section, though it’s unclear how soon shovels can hit the ground on that due to delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic, legal disputes and political opposition.
According to National Grid, the pipeline will make gas access in Brooklyn more reliable and safe.
But the project has drawn intense backlash.
In addition to community and activist groups, Mayor de Blasio and several members of the City Council oppose the project, arguing it doesn’t do enough to end New York’s reliance on climate change-driving fossil fuels.
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“A coalition of Brooklyn community groups called on the Biden administration Monday to pull the plug on National Grid’s new gas pipeline in the borough, charging that it will disproportionately impact the health of local residents of color.” Is there at least one damned thing that can occur that doesn’t “disproportionately impact people of color”? No wonder there is so much division in this country—it is thrown up at every turn over every conceivable thing. It is akin to bipartisanship in Congress—it has gotten to the point that reaching across the Black/White line is losing its appeal because it flat out isn’t productive.
“This pipeline is just another example of how communities of color that have historically borne the burden of environmental racism continue to pay the price,” said Fabian Rogers, a Brownsville resident and member of the Brownsville Green Justice group. Environmental racism. ????
COVID disproportionately affects Blacks. America is historically systemically racist. Schools that don’t mandate mask wearing may be guilty of civil rights violations. Fair voting laws that eliminate fraud adversely affect Blacks. Blackness adversely affects Blacks—seriously think on that for a while.
The old joke applies: Leftist headline reporting a plane crash killing everyone on board. “Women and blacks worst affected”.
I say fine. SHUT DOWN ALL GAS pipelines, into EVERY BLACK COMMUNITY..
THEN SEE how long it takes before they whine “BUT we have no gas to cook with, no gas to heat our homes with, no gas for XYZ”…
If Brooklyn residents freeze to death because of unreliable natural gas service, isn’t that also “discriminatory”? Asking for a friend …
I wonder how all of the racists in the photo above got to the location they are at? Oh, by cars of course and don’t forget, you airheads in the photo, cars cause global warming. So you airheads in the photo are racist.
These groups never consider how their residences are heated and cooled. The large majority rely on natural gas, limiting its availability increases the cost. DeBlasio wants to reduce the use of fossil fuels. How does he propose to provide heating and cooling to his city’s residents TODAY? Pie in the sky wishes ignore that citizen’s needs do not stop for the years it takes to implement a ‘green’ agenda, one that there is no guarantee will be equal to the task. Look at California, it sources 31% of its electricity from surrounding states and still faces rolling blackouts every summer.
OF course not. THEY Most likely don’t PAY the bills, its taken care of by section 8 and HUD…
Gas is a feature of modernity. The price of energy is going to keep going up more and more as modernity is rejected. People of color elsewhere in the world need modern ways to obtain energy. Many still burn wood and excrement to cook. Brooklyn is being victimized by politics and crony capitalism. Green politicians use public funds to pay for energy scams.
“Representatives for National Grid and the Department of Environmental Conservation did not immediately return requests for comment.”
Because they were laughing so hard about how stupid this is.
Why is it that the least productive of all ethnic groups always complains about progress. Seems they would want progress so that they can have a better life and be able to contribute to our country but no all some can do is ***** and complain. Some things never change.
Exactly. You’d think WITH ALL THE BENEFITS they’ve been given, many of which ONLY THEY GET, THERE WOULD BE MORE progress.. BUT with the # of them CALLING For things like resegregation (in their favor etc) MORE AND MORE it seems they are incapable OF progressing.. Forward that is.
Wow. Soros has really been busy lately paying people to get his demands out. More to come I’m sure.
Cut off all their gas! Reroute pipelines around this area!