Court dismisses legal challenge to natural gas compressor

The state Appeals Court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by opponents of a natural gas compressor station in Weymouth that had challenged one of the approvals for the facility.

A three-judge panel affirmed a Superior Court judge’s decision that the Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Stationgroup could not seek judicial review of the approval issued by the state Office of Coastal Zone Management, The Patriot Ledger reported.

The court ruled that the citizens group did not have a right to an agency hearing, and therefore did not have a right to judicial review.

Alice Arena of the anti-compressor group said the town initially filed the appeal and the citizens group intervened, but the town dropped its appeal as part of a host community agreement with energy company Enbridge.

“That was a difficult one because we were asking the court to set precedent on who had standing to appeal a (Coastal Zone Management) decision,” she said.

The compressor station is part of Enbridge’s Atlantic Bridge project, which expands the company’s natural gas pipelines from New Jersey into Canada.

Opponents argue that the station presents health and safety risks.