Washington (November 30, 2022) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Safety, released the following statement after Massachusetts’ Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB) approved a special permit allowing Eversource to bypass 14 environmental permits needed to construct an electrical substation in East Boston. Eversource will soon be able to begin construction on the project.

“Construction of the East Boston electric substation would be an environmental injustice. This project jeopardizes the health, safety, and quality of life of all East Boston and Chelsea residents. Instead of incorporating the concerns and input of local Black, Brown, and immigrant communities who are fighting for their health and their homes, the Energy Facilities Siting Board has excluded them and put utility profits over people. This decision ignores the advice of experts who have presented alternatives to this construction. I will continue to fight to ensure that all of the Commonwealth’s decisions regarding infrastructure projects are rooted in community involvement, sound science, and environmental justice.”

In February 2021, Senator Markey urged the EFSB to reverse its decision to move forward with building an electrical substation that raised air pollution concerns for East Boston residents. In December 2020, he led members of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation, state legislature, and Boston City Council in a letter calling for the EFSB to postpone public hearings on the substation’s construction until the COVID-19 pandemic is over. In November 2019, the Senator called on the board to reassess its authorization of constructing an East Boston electrical substation on East Eagle Street.

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