Cops, Williams Co., & Our Future
Reflections on a recent pipeline public hearing.
This blog post was written by POWHR’s Advocacy Manager, Lief Hurt.
Recently, I attended a public hearing in Chatham for the Williams Company’s proposed new Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SSEP). As I pulled into the parking lot, I was surprised to see rows of cop cars. I glanced at my phone to make sure I was in the right place.
I had expected a boring hearing in an old agricultural complex. I approached one of the officers and he told me the precinct had expected hundreds of protesters. Standing in the quiet complex, it was clear such an outcome was unlikely.
As I walked into the meeting room, my disappointment and discomfort grew. The room was incredibly unwelcoming – no tables or chairs were arranged for sitting or talking. The whole atmosphere felt deliberately uninviting and cold.
Multiple Williams employees were in attendance and were quick to dismiss any critical discussion about the project. One Williams staffer claimed they had already spoken with every impacted landowner for the section of map shown at the meeting – part of NC and all of VA.
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) Office of Public Participation (OPP) staff were conveniently absent. The entire set-up felt disingenuous and seemed to purposefully discourage meaningful engagement. FERC’s OPP should have been there to help explain and encourage public participation in the regulatory process, especially in the face of such strong project developer presence.
A public hearing should be an open place for conversation; what I witnessed was exaggerated police presence and stonewalling by fossil fuel employees.
As a climate activist, I challenge the status quo of the fossil fuel industry, one of the richest and most powerful industries in the world.
The fossil fuel industry is deeply embedded in our government, pouring millions into lobbying, political campaigns, and deliberately spreading misinformation about the climate crisis, thus heavily influencing powerful politicians like Senator Joe Manchin. Our movement faces increasing state surveillance and violence because our work threatens their reign at a time when fossil fuels are causing recognized widespread harm and the world is transitioning to renewable energy.
People who challenge the status quo frequently face state oppression. In the mid-twentieth century, civil rights activists faced high degrees of state-sanctioned violence (including through inaction when non-state actors committed violence) because they were challenging the status quo of white supremacy and because the activist’s efforts to achieve equality and justice were seen as a direct threat.
During the decade-long fight against the Mountain Valley Pipeline, one of the biggest companies behind MVP, EQT, coordinated extensively with local law enforcement along the route. Tree sitters in the Mountain Valley Pipeline fight were targeted by anti-terrorism agencies who were contacted through the fusion center network. This network was created to coordinate counter-terrorism intelligence but has expanded to monitor any First Amendment-protected activity. The fusion center network has helped fossil fuel companies like MVP and state and federal agencies share information to monitor peaceful protestors.
The Virginia Fusion Center coordinated directly with EQT to share “pipeline situation reports” that included information about how many people on Facebook were “interested” in meetings held by groups such as the Sierra Club, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, and Preserve Floyd – likely meetings similar to the SSEP hearing I went to. Currently, MVP is suing 41 people for $4 million. This case has been called a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) suit, which is used by corporations to intimidate opposition. Considering the heavy police presence at the Chatham SSEP meeting, it’s understandable why anyone would feel intimidated, and this is purposeful. Silence and discreditation of opposition has always been the fossil fuel industry's goal.
Globally, the situation for environmental activists is dire. Five climate activists just received the longest ever sentences for nonviolent protest in the United Kingdom. Climate activists are getting slammed with steep charges by Citibank in New York City.
Over 100 environmental activists are murdered each year. Between 2012 and 2022, the number reached almost 2,000. This is a devastating reality for environmental defenders whose activism protects us all.
As a young climate activist, I see the increasing state violence, fossil fuel crimes, and government inaction as a terrifying landscape for environmental advocacy. Yet our work is more important than ever, given the rise of facism and climate change. It is clear that only we will chart our own path forward to the future we deserve.
One concrete step we can take towards a better future is stopping all new fossil fuel projects, including Williams Company’s Southeast Supply Enhancement Project. You can take action by telling the federal government to oppose SSEP.