Editor’s note: This commentary is by Bobbie Carnwath, who is on the board of Spirit in Nature, the advisory board of Habitat for Humanity of Addison County, and was recently elected to the Cornwall Town Planning Commission.
On Wednesday, the Addison County Regional Planning Commission (ACRPC) is scheduled to vote on Phase II of Vermont Gas Systems’ (VGS) proposal to construct a gas pipeline through the towns of Cornwall and Shoreham, and under Lake Champlain to Ticonderoga, N.Y.
The project raises important issues for anyone who is concerned about planning for the future of our region. Experts disagree on whether fracked gas is a cleaner fuel than oil over its ground-to-atmosphere life cycle; this winter’s paper plant closings in New Hampshire have caused worries about the price and reliability of natural gas; there are questions about the safety, poor communications, and management by VGS; and the drilling and installation of a high-pressure gas line under Lake Champlain raises environmental concerns. According to Wednesday’s agenda, after the committee reports are heard, the ACPRC will have less than a half an hour to discuss and move to a vote on the VGS Phase II proposal before turning to other business.
After the energy committee explains its conclusions to the commission at large, we can expect a simple “no” vote, after which the commissioners will move on to other business, adjourn, and get home to their families at a reasonable hour. Right?
To accomplish all this in half an hour seems daunting, even irresponsible, if the commission expects to perform an in-depth analysis of the costs, risks and likely benefits of the Phase II pipeline project. Fortunately, however, the task facing the ACRPC is a simple one. The planning commission has already done the challenging work of drafting, debating, fine tuning, and finally approving a comprehensive regional plan with a lengthy section on energy, defining how energy should be supplied to our homes and businesses. The question facing the ACRPC is simply: Is the VGS proposal in compliance with the regional plan?
The ACRPC Energy Committee has already deliberated and concluded that it is not. Therefore, after that committee explains its conclusions to the commission at large, we can expect a simple “no” vote, after which the commissioners will move on to other business, adjourn, and get home to their families at a reasonable hour. Right?
Playing devil’s advocate for a moment, the ACRPC could vote to endorse the VGS Phase II proposal in spite of the conflict with its own regional plan. Such a decision would make a loud and confusing statement that the regional plan has no effective meaning, and leave all the commissioners and the general public wondering why they bothered to write it the first place. Based on the thoughtful and insightful work that the planning commission has done in the past, I hope and trust that the commissioners will not invite the devil to their meeting on Wednesday.
