A group of elected officials from Boston, including Mayor Martin J. Walsh and U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, is asking a District of Columbia ?appeals court to throw out an ?approval for a controversial natural gas pipeline in West Roxbury.
“The fact that they’re setting up next to a blasting facility brings a lot of concern to a lot of people.” Walsh said.
The appeal, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia late last week, asks the court to overturn a decision by the ?Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to approve a natural gas pipeline through West Roxbury, called the West Roxbury Lateral. The pipeline, built by Spectra Energy passes by West Roxbury Crushed Stone, an active quarry.
“All of the Lateral, including all of that portion of the high-pressure gas pipeline planned for the City of Boston, as well as the West Roxbury Meter Station, will be located in ‘high consequence areas,’” the appeal states, “areas ‘where a gas pipeline accident could do considerable harm to people and their property.’”
A group of protesters has tried to disrupt construction, and more than 100 have been arrested on trespassing charges. In June, Karenna Gore, former Vice President Al Gore’s daughter, was among those arrested.
Spectra has said the pipeline is ?expected to be in use in November.
Boston has lost every other legal action, but Lynch said they will not give up.
“When we’ve exhausted every single legal avenue, then we’ll be content that we did everything we could,” Lynch said. “We’ll fight to the end, and we’re not at the end.”
Spectra Energy did not respond to a request for comment. FERC ?declined to comment.