Eleven AGs Urged FERC to Halt Fossil Fuel Infrastructure Project Approvals During COVID-19 Crisis

Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey led a coalition of 11 attorneys general in sending a letter urging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to declare a moratorium on approvals of natural gas pipelines and other fossil fuel infrastructure projects during the COVID-19 crisis. In their letter, the AGs emphasized that FERC’s permitting decisions for fossil fuel infrastructure projects have “significant on-the-ground impact[s] on the lives of individuals and communities,” such as the seizure of private land through eminent domain, and long-term exposure to pollution emitted by supporting facilities. The letter noted that even under normal circumstances it is “difficult for affected stakeholders to fully advocate for their interests” in FERC proceedings, and emphasized that the COVID-19 crisis has imposed additional “unprecedented hardships” that impede stakeholders’ participation.