The GTN Xpress project would move more fracked gas through the aging GTN pipeline in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, putting communities along the route of the pipeline at risk. Pushing more gas through an old pipeline is a bad plan. Even the Pipeline Safety Trust urged FERC to deny the project because of increased safety risks and TC Energy’s troubling track record of failed pipelines. This approval came without any acknowledgment of TC Energy’s latest, fiery pipeline explosion in Strasburg, Virginia this summer. Late last year, another TC Energy pipeline failed and spilled 588,000 gallons of crude oil into a Kansas creek. A broad coalition of organizations had called on FERC to consider the safety implications of pushing more fracked gas in a decades-old pipeline system, but FERC ignored them.

GTN Xpress’ pollution equals several fossil fuel power plants—3.47 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year. TC Energy’s plan would hamper our region’s ability to move away from fracked methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. FERC’s decision is terrible for Northwest communities already feeling the impacts of climate change.

We’re frustrated and angry by today’s decision, but we’re not giving up. We will do whatever we can to stop this. We will fight this decision in the courts and on the ground because we simply cannot allow any more dangerous fossil fuel expansion. Join our Fossil Fuel Resistance Team to get involved in this fight with us, and make sure you sign the petition to FERC to withdraw this decision, which we will soon be sending to FERC as well as the Attorneys Generals of Oregon, Washington, and California.