Newton Resident, Environmental Activist and BU Professor Nathan Phillips launched a hunger strike beginning Wednesday, January 29th, in an effort to bring attention to public health and safety violations occurring at the Weymouth Compressor site. Mother’s Outfront sent the following email message:
Fellow Newtonite, BU professor, and tireless climate activist, Nathan Phillips, began a hunger strike this past Wednesday to call attention to serious public health and safety violations occurring at the site of the ill-conceived Weymouth Compressor station. His personal statement describes how dump trucks loaded with suspected arsenic- and asbestos-laden coal ash have been leaving the site in violation of agreed-upon decontamination procedures, threatening the health of residents of the Fore River Basin and along routes across the Commonwealth and beyond.
We can show support for Nathan and elevate the cause he has bravely embraced by making phone calls, tweeting, posting and messaging at the two men in our state who have the power to act on Nathan’s – and our – demand that the law be obeyed at the Weymouth Compressor station. So far they have refused to do so.We are hoping to get as many calls and tweets to Governor Baker and the Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Suuberg as we can over the weekend – so they find their boxes full on Monday morning! We will continue these actions on Monday when they are back at work as well.Nathan is doing well. getting lots of support and caretaking, so the best way you can help is to amplify the message of his hunger strike and reach out directly to Governor Baker and the Depa,tment of Environmental Protection Commissioner Suuberg to meet Nathan’s three demands!For CALLS:Please call Gov. Baker’s office 617-725-4005 and DEP Commissioner Suuberg’s office 617-292-5500, and say, “I am calling to urge you to meet the three demands that will allow the ongoing hunger strike of Nathan Phillips to end.”The demands are:1. All dump trucks leaving the site abide by the decontamination measures outlined on page 27 of the Release Abatement Measures plan of November 25, 2019, which require a decontamination pad/station and other measures to clean tires and exterior vehicle surfaces of site residue.2. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection commences comprehensive testing for asbestos in furnace bricks and in the coal ash matrix, across and throughout the vertical profile of the North Parcel.3. The Baker administration commits to a date certain, no later than two weeks from today, for the installation and operation of an air quality monitor as Governor Baker pledged action on ‘within a couple of days’ on Radio Boston on January 23, 2020.FYI: Suuberg’s extension for messages is: #71098On TWITTER:Use this Hashtag:#Hunger4JusticeMA@350MassNathan Phillips: @nathanpbostonMass Department of Environmental Protection: @MassDEPGovernor Baker: @MassGovernorFRRACS: @FRRACS_MA
Fellow Newtonite, BU professor, and tireless climate activist, Nathan Phillips, began a hunger strike this past Wednesday to call attention to serious public health and safety violations occurring at the site of the ill-conceived Weymouth Compressor station. His 
Nathan is a great guy fighting for a great cause. I hope his efforts prove worthwhile.
Thank you for sharing this, Amy. Nathan has been advocating tirelessly for these safety measures, and it’s maddening that the lack of response from state has necessitated this drastic step.
Nathan is posting frequent updates on Twitter, including this one just minutes ago that the Mass DEP has agreed to a meeting on Friday to discuss many concerns including the 3 that Nathan’s hunger strike is specifically targeting to addressed.
Thanks Amy, for posting about Nathan and the worthy cause he has undertaken and thank you Nathan for caring so much about public health and safety.
Thank you for posting this. Nathan is a dedicated environmentalist on behalf of us all. I hope the state is flooded with calls.
I’ve never met Nathan Phillips, but hope I’ll be able to do so some day soon because I’ve heard so many great things about his character, and his deeply committed leadership and spirit . I’ve been receiving updates and background briefings on the Weymouth Compressor Station from several friends and political associates who are in the thick of the opposition in Weymouth. The truck debacle is just one of several hazards and deficiencies I’ve been informed about by people I trust It does appear to be something that could be readily solved if there was political will and backbone to do so.
I admire Nathan’s courage and wish him success.
The situation in Weymouth brings to mind the time a trucking company hauling debris containing asbestos from the old Newton North site, was caught red handed by TAB reporters removing hazardous waste placards from their trucks. Reporters followed the trucks to an out of town construction site where they were likely illegally dumping the debris to use as fill for a new apartment building.
A wonderful soul and also former head of Bike Newton…he has championed many good causes and deserves our support.
Glad to see that The Globe has finally reported on Nathan’s hunger strike.