GLASTONBURY, CT — Algonquin Gas Transmission has applied to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for approval of a project that would add an approximately 2,000-foot natural gas pipeline connector beneath the Connecticut River, according to a public notice shared Friday by the town of Glastonbury.
The proposed Connecticut River Reliability Project would modify Algonquin's existing 30-inch L30B Pipeline System, including installation of the new connector pipeline and relocation of existing valve sites in Hartford and Middlesex counties.
The project involves work in Glastonbury, Cromwell and Rocky Hill.
Algonquin said the project is intended to improve its ability to inspect and maintain the existing pipeline system at the Connecticut River crossing. A section of the existing pipeline currently prevents the company from using in-line inspection tools, commonly known as "pigs," between Valve Sites 28A and 28B.
The proposed connector would create a continuous pipeline segment between the valve sites, allowing Algonquin to conduct uninterrupted inspections of the L30B system and improve maintenance capabilities, operational reliability and flexibility, according to the notice.
The new pipeline would be installed beneath the Connecticut River using Direct Pipe, a trenchless construction method that combines microtunneling and horizontal directional drilling and is designed to allow pipeline installation beneath rivers without surface impacts.
On the west side of the river, the project would use workspace for a permanent access road between Dividend Road in Rocky Hill and Algonquin's existing pipeline right of way. Work in Cromwell would include installation of the connector pipeline and relocation of Valve Site 28A.
On the east side of the river, construction would include continued Direct Pipe installation along the existing pipeline right of way, relocation of Valve Site 28B in Glastonbury and construction of a new permanent access road to the relocated valve site.
The project could temporarily affect six wetlands in Rocky Hill, including three wetlands subject to both federal and state jurisdiction and three subject only to state inland wetlands jurisdiction. The notice states that no streams or rivers would be directly affected by construction.
Algonquin's application is being submitted under Connecticut laws governing structures, dredging and fill and inland wetlands and watercourses, as well as Section 401 of the federal Clean Water Act.
Residents and other interested parties may obtain copies of the application from Jean Paul Musonera, project manager with Algonquin Gas Transmission, at 915 N. Eldridge Parkway, Houston, Texas, 77079, or by calling 346-281-551.
The application also is available for inspection at DEEP's Land and Water Resources Division, 79 Elm St., Hartford. The office can be reached at 860-424-3019 and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. DEEP asks visitors to call in advance to schedule an application review.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Glastonbury Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.