Physicians and public health experts are calling on Gov. Charlie Baker and state environmental officials to take a second look at plans to build a natural gas compressor along a cove in Weymouth near the Fore River Bridge.
Public health academics and doctors say the project by energy company Enbridge would add pollution to the surrounding, densely-populated neighborhood and create, should there be a leak or other mishap, the threat of a potentially devastating explosion.
"Everything in this red area. Everybody would be — would be dead," Dr. Matt Bivens, chair of Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility, said as he pointed out concentric circles on a map of the proposed compressor site and laid out what he said could happen if a two-minute long gas leak lead to an explosion.
"And people in the orange area and the yellow area would suffer either painful burns or severe second degree burns," Bivens said, adding that his report did not factor in what would happen if infrastructure at the neighboring sewage plant, Fore River Bridge or Calpine electrical plan were also damaged.
Enbridge failed to respond to a request for comment.
The state's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is scheduled to hold a hearing on the compressor project Wednesday. This quasi judicial hearing will hear an appeal challenging the wetlands permit granting Enbridge permission to build on the site.
Throughout the controversy, Baker has largely restricted his comments to defending the regulatory process. Baker said Monday morning that he's receptive to complaints about the project, but that objections should be directed to federal authorities who that have ultimate say.
"People who have issues with the site, they should absolutely file those and we'll include those as part of the record and we'll get a serious review," Baker said.
The project is designed to pump natural gas through Massachusetts to the rest of New England and the Canadian Maritimes.
Opponents say an air quality review ordered by Baker found dangerous levels of carcinogens already in the neighborhood, even before construction.
"This is Flint on the Fore River," Dr. Philip Landrigan, director of Boston College's Global Public Health Program, said at a press conference hosted by the college Monday. Landrigan compared the health impact of the compressor station to the polluted water supply in Flint, Michigan, and response by local government.
"We have an unresponsive state government who is refusing to look at the public health hazards, is refusing to look at the safety hazards," Landrigan said.
"When these facilities have a fire or they explode, the only thing that can be done is to cordon off a certain area and let them burn," said Alice Arena, a resident of Weymouth and leader of the neighbors fighting against the facilities construction. Arena said the Weymouth site would be the only gas compressor in the country that isn't located on acres of mostly vacant land.
Virtually ever elected official in and around Weymouth — including U.S Rep. Stephen Lynch — opposes the project. They're asking Baker's DEP to deny state approval after the Wednesday hearing.
