Joan Meschino, Author at Joan Meschino

Representative Meschino and Senator O’Connor Encourage Residents, Towns to Advocate for Ferry and Commuter Rail Services

(BOSTON) - Facing the potential elimination of ferry services and major cuts to the Greenbush line, State Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) and State Senator Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth) are working closely with the towns of Hingham, Hull, and Cohasset to oppose eliminating ferry service and to oppose draconian cuts to the commuter rail. Representative Meschino and Senator O’Connor encourage district residents to speak up and advocate for continued public transit services. Already, there has been an outpouring of support for continued ferry and commuter rail service, in the wake of Monday’s Fiscal and Management Control Board (FMCB) meeting, during which MBTA leaders outlined likely service cuts to address the budget deficit, including eliminating the Hingham/Hull ferry. A slide from the October 5th FMCB meeting showing the Hingham/Hull ferry as a likely candidate to be eliminated. Image credits: MBTA “Forging Ahead Updates: Scenario and Service Planning” presentation by Anna Gartsman, Kat . . . Read More

Joan Meschino2020-10-13T11:38:27-04:00October 13th, 2020|Transportation + Infrastructure|

Representative Meschino Reiterates Importance of Mitigation and Environmental Justice in Transportation and Infrastructure Improvement Projects

(BOSTON) – When it comes to resilience in the face of the climate crisis, Representative Meschino’s (D-Hull) focus is forward, stressing the importance of public health and environmental justice as a lens for transportation policy. Internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles cause 43% of Massachusetts’ carbon emissions and contribute to both climate change and local air pollution. Strong transportation policy supports Massachusetts economic recovery and is a means for reducing carbon emissions, mitigating harm to the environment, and protecting public health. The importance of such measures is magnified by the current public health crisis—the pandemic. However, just as the Baker Administration has proceeded further in reopening the Massachusetts economy, the MBTA has begun outlining plans to reduce or potential eliminate service in response to low ridership during the pandemic. The stated intention is to evaluate all routes on two axes: the degree to which a population serviced by the route . . . Read More

Joan Meschino2020-09-30T16:56:05-04:00September 30th, 2020|Energy + Environment, Public Health|

Representative Meschino to Refile Civil Rights Bill After Compressor Station Incident
Gallery
Representative Meschino to Refile Civil Rights Bill After Compressor Station Incident

Energy + Environment, Public Health

Representative Meschino to Refile Civil Rights Bill After Compressor Station Incident

(BOSTON) - State Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) declared her intention to refile an important civil rights bill next legislative session in response to the gasket failure which allowed hundreds of thousands of cubic feet of methane gas to escape from the Weymouth Compressor Station into the adjacent residential community on Friday, September 11, 2020. Despite strong opposition by residents, local, state and federal elected officials, public health officials, and environmental advocacy groups, Enbridge began testing the compressor station facilities last week. Instantly, the communities’ worst fears were realized, as a gasket failure released a significant amount of methane gas into the community at ground level. The geographic and meteorological characteristics of the Fore River Basin pushed the escaped methane gas into the basin and trapped it on the ground preventing the gas from dispersing. Both Enbridge and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection released statements confirming the accident occurred. . . . Read More

Joan Meschino2020-09-18T16:58:11-04:00September 18th, 2020|Energy + Environment, Public Health|

Representative Joan Meschino Submits Comments to MassDEP Advocating for Public Health Considerations Near the Compressor Station

(BOSTON) - State Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) added her name to a long list of commenters this week in response to the public comment period issued by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) regarding the Weymouth Compressor Station. At stake are two different issues, both with real public health impacts on the surrounding community. The first centers on MassDEP’s acceptance of a fossil fuel-powered motor as the best available control technology (BACT), when an electric motor drive would offer a cleaner alternative. The second involves MassDEP’s proposed placement, expected measurement capabilities, and delayed timeline for situating a permanent air quality monitoring station near the Compressor Station site. Yet to be installed, the monitoring station will be less effective in measuring pollutants in the proposed site than in others nearby and may not have the full measuring capabilities to capture 1-hour NO2 emissions and to observe local meteorological conditions. . . . Read More

Joan Meschino2020-09-17T16:01:05-04:00September 17th, 2020|Energy + Environment, Public Health|

Joan

About Joan Meschino

Representative Meschino and Senator O’Connor Encourage Residents, Towns to Advocate for Ferry and Commuter Rail Services

Representative Meschino Reiterates Importance of Mitigation and Environmental Justice in Transportation and Infrastructure Improvement Projects

Representative Meschino to Refile Civil Rights Bill After Compressor Station Incident

Representative Meschino to Refile Civil Rights Bill After Compressor Station Incident

Representative Joan Meschino Submits Comments to MassDEP Advocating for Public Health Considerations Near the Compressor Station