Vt. Supreme Court takes hearings ‘on the road’ in Hartford

HARTFORD, Vt. (WCAX) – The Vermont Supreme Court’s “On the Road” series visited Hartford High School Thursday, giving students a crash course on three cases before the court.

Hartford High School students got to see exactly how the high court operates during one of its annual oral argument dockets outside Montpelier. One of the three cases involved climate change and the world students live in. It centered around a Vermont Gas Systems contract with a New York landfill,

“A slice of that fossil gas will be replaced by renewable natural gas. That is the whole purpose of this contract,” said VGS attorney Matthew Greer.

The contract, which was approved by Vermont’s Public Utility Commission, allows VGS to buy methane generated from decomposing trash. The company says it’s one way it’s working to reduce greenhouse gasses. But Vermont Gas customer Catherine Bock wants the court to stop the deal.

“It’s not a solution, it’s just another way to keep burning gas,” Bock said. Her lawyer told the court the contract does not get the state closer to its long-term goals of reducing carbon emissions, a position she reiterated after the hearing. “The atmosphere does not care if you are calling the methane renewable natural gas or you are calling it fracked gas. It’s the exact same molecule, and when you burn it, it emits the same amount of carbon dioxide.”

“It’s really important that we invest in our future,” said Geneva Durgin, a member of Hartford High School’s environmental club. She says watching the court in person gave her a better understanding of how the process works. “I think it was really cool to see the specifics and all the rules and policies that go into a court proceeding”

“I’ve never actually seen a legal procedure like that unfold,” said senior Joseph Knapp. He says he is also concerned about climate change. “It’s going to become a more pressing issue as the years go on and we begin to understand even more about the effects of it and how it’s not only going to affect our generation but also future generations.”

A spokesperson for Vermont Gas sent us a statement after the hearing: “The Public Utility Commission undertook a complete review of this supply contract and approved it. Their review was grounded in the latest climate science, with a focus on cost-effectiveness for customers.”

It will likely be several months before the justices issue a ruling on any of the three cases heard before the court on Thursday.

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