Hello!
Hope that you and your group are taking good care as we ride into the end of this extraordinary summer.
Power Past Fracked Gas is reaching out to give you an update on where things are at with Puget Sound Energy’s LNG facility in Tacoma. Thank you for your prior support in this work!
As communicated in our last update, construction continues to happen. In the midst of the covid crisis and this historic moment in the fight for Black lives, PSE continues to push a facility that targets brown and black bodies first and worst. The Puyallup Tribe is steadfast in their opposition and community groups continue to stand with them.
Our legal update has been delayed until March of 2021. Here is a statement from Advocates for a Cleaner Tacoma on the delay. The Pollution Control Hearings Board will make a decision on the Puyallup Tribe and EarthJustice’s (representing Advocates for a Cleaner Tacoma and other groups) appeal of the air permit for the facility. Between now and then, we’ve been advised that the best work we can be doing is to keep this fight visible and to keep educating elected officials and the public about what’s going on.
Meanwhile, PSE continues to prove that they’re a bad actor, and this time they are teaming up with the gas industry to greenwash fossil fuels under the banner of a coalition called “Partnership for Energy Progress.” We’re not letting up the heat on calling them out.
So, we would love your help! Here are some things you can do right now:
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Engage in another social media storm at Puget Sound Energy on Thursday, September 10th. Please post from you or your group’s account, and below is an email alert that you can share with your list. Here is our social action guide for crafting posts. In July, we got #FrackOffPSE trending on Twitter!! We’re hoping to keep up the heat and make these storms monthly. Messaging information and dates will be updated in the guide, and feel free to post in between the bigger storm days as well! Here’s PPFG’s action page.
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Share this events calendar with your people! Note that the few in person things are not public, so you’ll want to just ask a few people who might be able to participate safely. Otherwise, there’s tons of online engagement opportunities for folks!
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Write letters to the press and elected officials about how PSE is a bad actor. Here is a writing guide with talking points and information on where to send letters.
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Host a film screening of Native Daily Network’s Ancestral Waters. The film chronicles the Puyallup’s fight against the LNG project. There are scenes of militarized police mobilized against peaceful protesters. Check out this toolkit on how to host a screening, with suggestions for making connections with issues of police brutality and environmental racism after the film.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions. Your support is greatly appreciated!
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Subject: Social storm continues! #FrackOffPSE Sept. 10th
Dear XX,
In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis and this historic moment in the fight for Black lives, Puget Sound Energy (PSE) continues to push a dangerous fracked gas facility in Tacoma that endangers community health and safety, threatening brown and black bodies first and worst. The Puyallup Tribe is steadfast in their opposition to the facility and our community continues to stand with them.
We know PSE is a bad actor and continues to be in cahoots with the fracked gas industry. Their latest stint is joining Partnership for Energy Progress, a greenwashing group made up of gas industry representatives. This is a multi million public relations campaign to fight any initiatives that curb fossil fuel use.
Join us in a social media storm calling PSE out.
To make it worse, many of our neighbors face piling utility bills and mounting debts that they’ll be unable to pay, and they could face dangerous shut-offs for the rest of this year and beyond. PSE likes to talk about keeping the lights on, but in reality it is one of the worst utilities in the state at keeping people connected to affordable power. Utility service is essential, and PSE treats certain customers as expendable.
Fracked gas in our homes and in our communities endangers our health. And we know that to meet our climate goals we must phase out fracked gas – from our homes, schools, businesses and electricity system. We need relief from climate chaos and utility bills we cannot pay, not more misinformation.
By pushing new fossil fuel facilities and spreading dangerous misinformation about fracked gas, PSE is slowing our clean energy transition and putting their profits above our health. We cannot let them get away with this.
Will you join us today to hold PSE accountable?
Here is a social media action guide you can use to craft your posts, just be sure to tag Puget Sound Energy and to use the hashtag #FrackOffPSE in anything you post.
In solidarity,
XX
P.S. Since PSE continues to find more tricks to push fracked gas, we’re not letting up either. Our social storm days will be going monthly and we hope you can join us in saying #FrackOffPSE through 2020.