Tampa, FL — Today, the national climate advocacy group Food & Water Watch filed a formal protest to a fracked gas pipeline expansion project in Tampa Bay, demanding a full environmental impact study for the project. The proposal by Tampa Electric and Texas-based Florida Gas Transmission (FGT) to expand a length of pipeline in St. Petersburg and double the flow of gas into Hillsborough County, is in direct opposition to local legislation to move off fossil fuels and has raised substantial public outcry. The proposal requires approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to move forward.

Initial details on the project’s pollution impacts are inadequate and fail to evaluate downstream climate impacts, the protest states. Earlier this month, in response to demands from more than 100 Tampa Bay residents and Food & Water Watch, FERC requested additional information from the pipeline company regarding environmental justice and pollution impacts. FGT responded to those requests last week offering a limited scope of project impacts, but failed to disclose downstream greenhouse gas emissions and revealed that the gas will be used to increase electric energy production from fracked gas power plants in Hillsborough County.

In the protest — filed today — Food & Water Watch called for a full environmental impact study of the project.

Brooke Ward, Food & Water Watch Senior Florida Organizer issued the following statement:

“Tampa Bay needs less fracked gas, not more. This pipeline is but one piece of a much larger puzzle where TECO continues to double down on fracked gas at a time when the community has made it clear that they want cheap, safe and clean renewable energy. While our corporate utility seeks further rate hikes to pay for this dirty infrastructure, Tampa Bay is fighting back.

“Any effort to double down on dirty fossil fuels demands thorough scrutiny. Florida Gas Transmission’s own analysis is utterly insufficient — FERC must step in to require an environmental impact study for this proposal.” 

Contact: Phoebe Galt, [email protected]