Oppose dangerous expansion of fossil fuels in our community!
RI Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB)
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Sea 3 – a fossil fuel company owned by a multibillion dollar out-of-state corporation – wants to expand their dangerous liquid propane gas operation in the Port of Providence. Sign this petition to oppose a dangerous expansion of fossil fuels in our community!
Some context:
Sea 3 is asking for the Energy Facility Siting Board’s (EFSB) permission to incorporate an adjacent lot that would allow them to add 540,000 more gallons of liquid propane gas storage and acquire liquid propane gas by rail. This would be a huge expansion to what is already one of the largest liquid propane gas storage sites on the entire east coast of the US. The expansion would increase truck traffic in our neighborhood contributing to even more pollution and congestion, while expanding an already dangerous facility.
For years big polluters have been allowed to move into the Port of Providence and poison the air, water and soil in our community. As residents of Washington Park and the South Side, we understand that these polluters pose a threat to our families, our friends, and our community. In just the last 4 years, we’ve seen a pipeline burst and spew hazardous chemicals into our community, multiple fires at scrap metal facilities that billowed toxic smoke over our homes, and a train carrying explosive gasses derail. We cannot let boards like the EFSB continue to ignore the needs of our community. We need to make sure our voice is heard.
The People’s Port Authority is calling on residents of the South Side and Washington Park to sign this petition demanding the EFSB reject the Sea 3’s dangerous expansion of fossil fuels in our community. You can read more about the People’s Port Authority & the text of the petition below.
Sponsored by
To:
RI Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB)
From:
[Your Name]
As residents of Providence who will be impacted, we are writing to the EFSB to demand that the board reject Sea 3’s dangerous expansion of their Liquid Propane Gas. Our community already faces dangerous levels of air pollutants. This project threatens to increase truck traffic in our neighborhood which would contribute to higher levels of diesel exhaust polluting an already overburdened community. High concentrations of diesel exhaust have been shown to have both immediate and long term health impacts including higher cancer rates and increase the likelihood of asthma attacks. Our community already has one of the highest rates of childhood emergency room visits for asthma attacks in the state. Our community is being poisoned by our air. This Sea 3 facility will make it even harder to breathe.
Additionally, Sea 3 argues that their facility is necessary “to meet the future demand for LPG in the region.” This argument contradicts both the goals and binding emissions reductions of the State and the City of Providence’s Climate Justice Plan. Sea 3’s argument that we need increased LPG importation is not only untrue, it cuts against our own government’s plans to decarbonize Rhode Island.
We, the residents of the South Side and Washington Park, demand that the EFSB reject this unnecessary and harmful expansion of Sea 3’s LPG operation. Our community and our state’s safety must come first. The EFSB has a choice: stand with the well-being of Rhode Islanders or greenlight an unneeded and unproductive expansion of a dangerous facility. We hope you will stand with us.