Mayor Charles C. Kokoros is pleased to announce that the Town of Braintree, in conjunction with the Braintree Emergency Management Agency (BEMA) is contributing $20,000 to the Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station (FRRACS). These funds will be used to purchase an air quality monitoring system that will detect harmful chemicals produced by the compressor station and monitor the overall air quality in the Four River basin communities. In February the Town of Braintree joined the City of Quincy, the Town of Hingham, the Ten Persons Group and the Ten Citizens Group, in an appeal to the United States First Circuit Court of Appeals of the most recent decision issued by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
“It is important that the communities impacted by the compressor station continue to work together and remain vigilant in order to protect the health and safety of our residents. FRRACS has been a strong advocate and ally as we continue our efforts to stop the compressor station and, with the support of BEMA, together we will be able to hold Enbridge accountable for any excess pollutants resulting from its operation, ” said Mayor Kokoros. “This system will provide the town with the information we need to make certain that residents closest to the compressor station in East Braintree are not at risk due to air pollution produced by the compressor station and to initiate all necessary legal action to ensure compliance with the regulations.”
The air quality monitoring system will be stationed in Braintree and the Town and FRRACS will be able to use the data collected to ensure the pollutants do not exceed the legal limits set forth by the Clean Air Act in the Four River basin.
"Mayor Kokoros recognizes the legacy of pollution in the Basin and how it affects the citizens of Braintree and beyond,” said FRRACS president Alice Arena. “We are very happy to be working with the Mayor and the Town of Braintree on this project to bring essential information to those most impacted and to use this as an educational tool on environmentalism."
FRRACS will cover the remaining cost of the air quality monitoring system for Braintree, as well as for other impacted communities, through available grant funding.