On November 7, approximately 50 people participated in a protest walk organized by Sierra Club Connecticut and allied community groups to oppose a proposed natural gas pipeline project. The demonstration, titled the “Walk to Stop the SERPent Pipeline,” covered seven miles from Hurd State Park to Eversource headquarters in East Hampton, with 37 participants completing the full route.
The pipeline project, officially known as the Southeast Resilience Pipeline, has been renamed “SERPent” by opposition groups to emphasize their concerns about potential environmental and public health impacts. Organizers argue that the proposed infrastructure would run beneath the Connecticut River and conflict with climate goals and energy affordability objectives.
Participants and speakers raised multiple objections to the project during the event. Critics contended that Eversource prioritizes financial returns over environmental protection and that the pipeline would lock Connecticut into decades of fossil fuel dependency. They argued the project expands methane gas infrastructure while the state should be transitioning toward modern renewable energy alternatives. Speakers also highlighted concerns about environmental racism, linking the pipeline expansion to disproportionate health and environmental burdens on communities.
Proponents of the opposition effort characterized the issue as part of a broader pattern of corporate infrastructure development that prioritizes profit margins over public welfare. Eversource, as a for-profit utility, was identified as having financial incentives to expand pipeline networks. Organizers suggested that such projects expose residents to long-term environmental hazards including water and air quality degradation, while delaying necessary transitions to cleaner energy systems.
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