Representatives from a company proposing a natural gas pipeline across northern Massachusetts made their first appearance in the town of Montague Monday night. Officials with Kinder Morgan Energy attempted to ease concerns about the project.
More than 50 people packed the tiny Montague Select Board meeting room to hear from, and question, Allen Fore with Kinder Morgan.
“It’s important for people to understand number one, this is early in a proposed project,” said Fore. “Number two, they’ll have plenty of chance for input and comment throughout the process.”
But many Montague residents voiced their input last night, some in favor, but a majority against, including activists from outside the town. Cummington resident Rose Wessel is with the group No Fracked Gas in Mass.
“It’s a permanent cut across our state, through our towns, through our wetlands, through protected lands, protected forests, that will never be the same again, for something that we basically don’t need,” said Wessel.
Montague is one of 19 towns the pipeline would cross in the western part of the state. The Select Board has so far barred Kinder Morgan from surveying town-owned land.