Tell Mayor Walsh and the Conservation Commission: No Substation in East Boston

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Boston Conservation Commission

The community in East Boston is rising up to prevent Eversource from building an electrical substation across the street from a playground and basketball courts, in Eagle Hill. The neighborhood is already burdened with massive jet fuel containers for Logan Airport and much of New England’s heating oil -- plus giant piles of road salt.

Now the Conservation Commission has a final deadline of Nov 4th. Add your name to tell them to prevent this project!

To: Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Boston Conservation Commission
From: [Your Name]

In solidarity with the residents of East Boston and in support of GreenRoots, I am asking you to consider the concerns they have expressed about the electrical substation proposal, and ask Eversource to consider other options to provide electrical power to this community. The neighborhood is a working class, immigrant community of essential workers who have already been overburdened with industrial pollution, not to mention a disproportionate number of coronavirus infections and complications, and they do not need another hazardous piece of infrastructure in their backyard.

As you know, despite Eversource’s claim that the area is not within a floodplain, the surrounding areas have flooded several times in the past few years. As time goes on, the sea level is expected to rise, and storms are expected to become more frequent, making this a high risk site.

Since the site under consideration in East Boston is within yards of both a childrens’ playground and a large jet fuel storage area, and the risk of an explosion is simply too great. You must take action to stop this potential disaster.

The Union of Concerned Scientists has concluded that clean energy infrastructure, such as rooftop solar paired with energy storage, could provide more resilient electrical service to the area, for a lower cost than the $50-66 million projected cost to ratepayers for the substation. This plan would be much more in line with your proposed long-term sustainability initiatives. Another viable alternative would be to move the substation to a less residential area like Logan Airport, where Massport reportedly already has plans to build a substation.

Please protect the residents of the Chelsea Creek, and use your influence with Eversource to urge them to reconsider their plans to move forward with this dangerous project.