NATURAL GAS SAFETY EXPERT TOURS THE SITE OF THE PROPOSED WEST ROXBURY PIPELINE

Mark McDonald background bio:

Mark McDonald has over 2 decades natural gas direct and internal gas company experience, which is quite rare as a natural gas investigator/expert, along with decades of regulatory (litigation, enforcement and research) and legislative lobbying experience focused 100% on natural gas issues. He is also the president of the New England Gas Workers Association (NEGWA) where he has worked with legislators both in the Massachusetts on natural gas bills over the years, as well as in the U.S. Congress. Mark is responsible for the creation of the new Natural Gas Safety Act bill in 2010 that became Massachusetts state law this past July 2014, CHAPTER 164 Section 144

Question: Mark, in your opinion, what impact can the quarry’s blasting have on this proposed pipeline?

Mark McDonald:
This proposed 750 pound transmission pipeline is clearly a major intrusion on any existing gas line in this area. There has been some discussion by Spectra Energy & Algonquin Gas in terms of existing gas lines that have been here for quite a while without incident. I’m not convinced of that supposed fact. More research needs to be done to validate that argument, but clearly blasting on a daily basis is a major disruption of the soil of the ground in this area. Those conditions can’t be safe for any pipeline and if the existing gas lines have made it to this point, then I guess we’re lucky.

But then again we’re talking about a quarter (1/4) pound of gas pressure through those gas lines versus seven hundred and fifty (750 psi) pounds of pressure flowing through the proposed transmission pipeline. A quarter pound gas line can be disturbed. A water main can be disturbed. A seven hundred and fifty pound natural gas pipeline cannot be disturbed, period.

The quarry is ongoing, shifting and changing, with different levels, deeper, different directions. I don’t see this as the same blasting situation every single time, with the same location, the same soil, same depth. Clearly this is an ongoing, changing blasting zone, and so I have serious concerns. I’ve friends who live blocks from here who for years have had damage to their foundations, damage to their walls, cracking, and to say that this is not going to cause an incident or an issue for a natural gas pipeline is absurd. We’re talking a few hundred feet versus homes that are half a mile away. It just doesn’t make any sense to put this pipeline in close proximity to a blasting area.

It’s been mentioned that existing pipelines or distribution pipelines have been here for years and will continue to be here. Well, distribution pipelines used in today’s gas industries are made of polyethylene or plastic. This pipeline is definitely going to be a steel pipeline. Plastic, as you can imagine, has more flexibility, can absorb more shock because it has a lot more flexibility. Steel does not. Steel suffers from stress cracks, if the soil bed is disturbed. There’s no question in my mind that this soil bed for this pipeline will be disturbed at one point or another. Whether it’s enough to damage the pipeline, I don’t think anybody here in this area or in the immediate area wants to take a chance on that. I certainly don’t.

We’ve talked with residents in the area who are as much as .30 of a mile away from where this pipeline will be. They have explained that when these blasts occur, the whole ground shakes. Their houses shake. For example, someone explained that it felt like their gas stove blew up in their house. That is pretty significant in terms of ground movement disturbance. With a seven hundred and fifty pound (psi) pipeline, there are a couple of serious concerns. It may not happen the first month. It may not happen the first year. It may happen ten years from now when no one is looking at this issue.

[Additional post-interview comment by Mark McDonald]
[With regard to Spectra Energy and/or National Grid claims to abutters that existing distribution gas pipelines have not been disturbed, or threatened due to blasting…..I have found dozens of gas leaks in the gas mains surrounding the W.R. Crushed Stone area based on my “existing gas leak” list as of 2010. I am quite sure many more will show up on the repaired gas leak list. This data, I attained from National Grid themselves, directly disputes Spectra Energy’s recent claims gas (Distribution) pipelines in the area have not been disturbed by the continual blasting.]

Question: If an intrusion occurs-accidental or intentional-what are the potential consequences?

Mark McDonald:
Now is the time to address this. To give an example of the potential dangers, most people are familiar with San Bruno, California, where we had a gas pipeline that failed and took out approximately 15 blocks, killed eight people, destroyed dozens and dozens of homes. This proposed pipeline is going to carry gas at more than double that amount of pressure. So clearly, let’s do the math: expand that explosion blast level and blast damage. The damage to the neighborhood would be twice that of San Bruno...thirty (30) or more blocks in this area.

It just makes no sense. There is no reason this pipeline needs to be here. There’s got to be a better way, a better situation and I’m not convinced by any report that Spectra,or anybody else comes out with, that tells me that the ground shaking on a regular basis is safe for this pipeline or this neighborhood.

We’re right in front of West Roxbury Crushed Stone which is the granite blasting area we’ve just discussed which is across the street from what’s called the metering and regulating station (M & R station). We are at the intersection of Grove and Centre Streets, and there is a small piece of property here where they are proposing to put, again, an M & R station, metering and regulating station which is a serious concern, an additional concern to blasting.

I believe the blasting could cause the same real serious concerns and damage to that station. A metering and regulating station is where the pipeline comes out of the ground; it’s where the gas is regulated to a different lower pressure as well as metered, before it goes back into the ground and transferred to a utility like National Grid whose smaller lines transport it to our homes.

A second more serious concern is weather damage to that station, whether it be flooding, snow maintenance, etc. That (M&R station) is basically holding back seven hundred and fifty (750) pounds (psi) of pressurized gasfrom entering a distribution system which has been engineered to handle a much slower and much smaller pressure. If those two were to interact because of failure whether it is intentional or accidental would be devastating. Thousands of customers would be subject to fires, explosions...an extremely, extremely dangerous situation. To have the M & R station at such close proximity to a neighborhood where anyone could walk into the woods there such as terrorists is grossly irresponsible. We’re in a different world these days terrorism exits. If the right person, with a little bit of knowledge, was able to gain access to that M & R station....(sentence not completed)

Question: Is this gas really for the consumption of local residents? What is the real purpose in the construction of this pipeline?

Mark McDonald:
Well, my opinion is quite clear. I’ve done quite a bit of research. I’ve been in the industry a long time. It’s part of my business to understand innovation, how the system is developing with the increasing availability of natural gas as a domestic product such as shale fracked gas with which most people are familiar. It’s provided a sustainable product and some price stability. As a result, large manufacturers, electric generation plants use more gas in one day than the entire town of West Roxbury would use. Those are the ones that need this gas.

We have been on the same system for almost a hundred years and I don’t think you can find one person in West Roxbury who said, “I ran out of gas one day and have no heat.” That’s just not the truth.

The fact is these new large electric generation, large industrial plants are where the gas companies are really going to make money off of conversions. That’s what this pipeline is for.

Question: What about exports?

Mark McDonald:
Export is another factor that has been discussed. For example, we used to import…we still do, liquid natural gas from other countries to support the system. We have the most LNG tanks in the country where designed to serve as a backup for communities such as West Roxbury if this system were to be drained for one reason or another. We pay for them as ratepayers, to support that system.

The reverse of this process has been discussed and what’s a real concern is taking this sustainable large volume of gas we now have and converting it to LNG and sending it to other countries. LNG storage could be right in our back yard which I think is even more dangerous. Liquid natural gas, if ignited, would be a catastrophe no matter where it is. So we’re talking about profits here, in my opinion. We’re not talking about sustainability; we’re not talking about someone running out of gas. We’re talking about profits and the profits are not going to be for the residents of this neighborhood. They are going to be for the gas company. No question in my mind and I’d be happy to discuss and debate this with the gas companies.

Question: In what way will existing Right-of-Way regulations cause West Roxbury property owners’ loss of their homes and businesses?

Mark McDonald:
Here we are in front of Reardon Electric Supply which is on Centre Street, right down the middle of where thispipeline is proposed to be. I’m going to measure off a distance of 40 feet. Massachusetts state regulations require that any transmission line above 100 psi, I believe, cannot be within 40 feet of a structure. So I’ll measure this off and identify if this building is within 40 feet. If it is either the pipeline can’t be put here or this building has got to be removed before the pipeline is built: and maybe not just this building, but several houses in this immediate area. This is an issue which has not been exposed and discussed by Spectra or any other company with regard to this pipeline. So let me walk it off and share the footage with you.

(Mark walks over to front entrance of Reardon Electric Supply and measures out across Centre Street)

Ok. So here’s where 40 feet (a few feet from opposite curb), there’s no way possible this pipeline can be installed here under Massachusetts regulations with this building being here.

Question: So exactly where will the pipeline be?

It’s a good question. It appears to be right down this road. And this pipeline would also be close to that building (points to structure directly across the street from Reardon Electric Supply). At some point some of these buildings will have to go or the pipeline will have to go.

Question: what is this metal box (located at curbside on Centre Street) that has a sign on it that says “No Digging Within 200 feet”?

Mark McDonald:
As you can see right here, this is a National Grid gas regulator installation which is a district regulator where gas pressure comes in a higher level and is reduced down to what we can use for our homes, a quarter pound. This is very, very sensitive infrastructure, very similar to the M and R meter regulating station I just discussed. Again, damage to these or tampering with these, could lead to disastrous destruction to the neighborhood and beyond.

Question: In what way is this M & R Station vulnerable?

Mark:
Well, the reason it’s vulnerable is because, again, National Grid is warning with a sign that states a prohibition against digging within 200 feet. If I was to walk off two hundred feet it would include this entire street. Spectra Energy & Algonquin Gas, at National Grid’s invitation is proposing to dig up this entire area and put in a 750 pound high pressure transmission gas pipeline, when National Grid’s own warning sign is clearly saying that you can’t dig within 200 feet because of the dangers. Well, you have got to have danger with the West Roxbury Lateral proposal.

An additional risk factor, given all this exposure between the transmission pipeline, the new M and R station, is that the vehicular street traffic in it of itself becomes a threat to this neighborhood. These pipelines belong in rural areas, away from people for a reason, away from traffic for a reason, because there are so many different possibilities whether intentional or accidental that could cause massive destruction. They don’t belong in a densely populated neighborhood such as this where people are prevalent, where houses are prevalent, and cars are driving by. It doesn’t belong here. Another major risk factor is, if you look around, are all these different manholes, & pipes; there are at least three different mains here. Third party damage is the number one cause of gas line explosions …. Third party damage, for example, is typically caused by an excavator other than the gas company or one of their designated contractors or workers, digging in the ground: everything from working on a water main or fixing a water main to putting in a fence post or putting in a mail box. Any of those projects can cause severe damage. Unbeknownst to the excavator, he could bump into this line and once again, we’re back again talking about massive destruction. Third party damage, excavation damage is the number one cause of gas incidents in this country by far...a large volume, and that’s another huge threat created with this proposed transmission gas pipeline through this very busy area. It’s a bad idea.

Question: Mark, we are now back to the property planned for the M & R station. Do have any further comments regarding the risks associated with the proximity of this station to people’s homes?

Mark McDonald:
We’re actually on Centre Street, intersection of Grove. A little further down, we have the West Roxbury Crushed Stone (quarry). You can see that there’s a home right next to it. With 750 pounds pressure gas pushed into the regulating station, the homes in this whole immediate area, if that M & R station is to fail or the pipeline fails, are susceptible to complete devastation: elimination essentially from a massive, massive explosion similar to that which occurred in San Bruno, CA. All you have to do is look on the internet to see what happened at San Bruno. It’s a wakeup call for anybody who is living in close proximity to this station. I, for one, would not want to live in any of these houses and I think these residents should be very seriously concerned about having such a high pressure and dangerous pipeline and metered regulating station for the reasons I’ve discussed: blasting, third party damage, tampering, weather issues, vehicle damage…there are so many reasons this pipeline doesn’t belong here. It’s a serious threat to the neighborhood and people should take it very seriously.

Additional post-interview comment by Mark McDonald]

[The following is information I pulled from a file I have from the “Transportation Security Administration” & “Homeland Security” on the energy pipeline system, and the terror threats which have been verified going back over a decade ago.

In my opinion…this is some great evidence to be used in opposing the current proposed pipeline plan. I will be sharing this info. with Mayor Marty Walsh and Congressman Stephen Lynch, which will arm them with legitimate and government backed threats to the community in question.

High Value Targets

The pipeline industry is “target rich.”

· Line Pipe
· Compressor Stations
· Pump Stations
· Liquid Pipelines
· Breakout Tanks
· City Gates
· Storage Facilities
· Block Valves
· Control Centers
· Supporting Infrastructure

“These are all potential targets, but not necessarily “high-value” targets. An attack on a pipeline in an isolated rural area may result in environmental damage and losses to the company and their customers.”

“If that same attack occurred on the same pipeline but near, or in an urban area, the target could now become “high-value.” The environmental damage would be obvious.”

This can’t be any clearer in terms of the threat of this pipeline proposed in an urban area, in a high profile media market such as Boston which is a direct interest to terrorists as a “high-value” target of terror.

There is much more information in this file that is too lengthy to share. I believe this trumps the need to get Homeland Security involved since they have clearly weighed in on the terror threat I raised, supporting my exact concerns.]