The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is holding two “scoping” hearings regarding the Williams Transco company’s newest pipeline proposal, which includes a compressor station in the Trap Rock Quarry in South Brunswick, 3.5 miles of pipe in Old Bridge and Sayreville, and 22 miles under the Raritan Bay.
The hearings, which are being held September 7 at the George Bush Senior Center in Old Bridge and September 15 at the Franklin Township Community Senior Center, each from 5 to 9 p.m., are designed to allow people to express concerns to FERC about proposed projects. But one South Brunswick resident said that with some 500 people expected to attend the September 15 gathering, it isn’t likely that all will get to air their worries about effects of the proposed project.
“If you do the math at three to four minutes allowed per person, that will only allow about 60 people to comment,” said Jeremy Pollack, who lives in Princeton Walk. “There is a lot of concern because there is a reasonably high-density residential area here.”
The pipeline is proposed to take gas from the existing Transco Leidy Loop in central New Jersey out to Long Island. “This project will cut a scar across central New Jersey and the Raritan Bay and should be rejected,” said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. It “would not benefit New Jersey in any way and we will not be getting any gas from it. Instead, we will see nothing but environmental effects including loss of open space and polluting of our bays.”
According to Williams spokesman Chris Stockton, the Oklahoma-based company, which has had a natural gas pipeline on the Trap Rock property since the 1960s, is currently in the process of narrowing down proposed sites for the compressor station from two possibilities to one and hopes to make a decision in October.
Meanwhile, residents who live near Trap Rock, an active blasting site, are worried about noise, toxins, explosions, potential property devaluation, and more. “It just shouldn’t be built here,” Mr. Pollack said. “Williams has a record of many accidents, and this is an inherently dangerous thing. They try their best to make it safe, but as they say, stuff happens. It’s not a question of if something is going to happen here, but when.”
Mr. Stockton said in an email that safety is the most important aspect of Williams’ operations. “As we design the proposed compressor facility, we intend to apply industry-leading standards to ensure that the safety of the facility, our employees and the community remain paramount,” he wrote. “With regard to the facility’s proximity to Trap Rock, we are aware of this concern and plan to conduct a comprehensive engineering analysis to determine if this activity would have any measurable impact on normal facility operations.”
Operating pipeline facilities near a rock quarry “is not unusual,” he added. “The existing Transco pipeline has operated in the area for decades without incident. While we do not anticipate that the quarry’s proximity will create a potential hazard for the facility, we do plan to study the issue and the results of our engineering analysis will be used to effectively mitigate any potential issues in the station’s final engineering design.”
Until a location is decided, the company “will continue to work with local municipal authorities to keep them informed as the project advances,” Mr. Stockton said. “However, ultimately the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has exclusive regulatory jurisdiction over Williams with respect to the siting of pipeline facilities under the Natural Gas Act and the Pipeline Safety Act.”
Scoping meetings are held to define and refine the scope of an environmental impact statement or environmental assessment, and the alternatives to be investigated. The deadline for filing public comments with FERC is September 23. Several citizen groups have organized to address the possibility of the compressor station being built in Trap Rock Quarry.