Essex County Activists To Rally Against Pipeline Station

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A group of environmentalists are planning to hold an “emergency demonstration” at a natural gas compressor station in Essex County, their latest salvo in a long-running series of protests aimed at energy giant Williams/Transco.

The rally will take place from 4 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 28 in front of the Williams/Transco gas compressor site at 563 Eagle Rock Avenue in Roseland, according to a news release from Roseland Against Compressor Station (RACS). Learn more about this event here.

Here’s why protesters are rallying, according to organizers:

“Williams/Transco is beginning construction on the Gateway Expansion Project despite the fact that NJDEP and FERC have yet to rule on our pending permit appeals. Join us Thursday, March 28 from 4 to 6:30 p.m. as we rally in Roseland for an emergency halt to construction! There is free public parking in the Essex Golf Center located directly across the street from our rally site. We will have some signs to distribute, but we encourage you to make and bring your own sign calling on Governor Phil Murphy to stop the Roseland compressor expansion by declaring an emergency moratorium on fossil fuel expansion projects!”

• See related article: Controversial Essex County Pipeline Station Gets Key Permits
• See related article: Essex County Activists Not Giving Up Fight Against Pipeline Company

BACKGROUND: GATEWAY EXPANSION PROJECT

Williams/Transco has been trying to beef up its current compressor station in Roseland for years as part of its Gateway Expansion Project, a larger effort to revamp the Transco interstate natural gas pipeline and provide additional service to New Jersey and New York.

According to the RACS, the compressor station is part of a pipeline that runs under several Essex County towns including Roseland, West Caldwell, North Caldwell, Cedar Grove, Little Falls, Clifton, Bloomfield, Nutley, Belleville, North Arlington, Lyndhurst, Rutherford, East Rutherford, Carlstadt, Ridgefield and North Bergen, as well as the campus of Montclair State University.

The pipeline system connects the Northeastern markets with natural gas from the Marcellus Shale Formation, some of which is extracted using the controversial process known as "fracking."

The energy giant has claimed that the Gateway Expansion Project is needed to help it provide New Jersey with more than half of its natural gas, including to utility companies such as PSE&G.

According to Williams/Transco:

“The Transco pipeline delivers about half of the natural gas consumed in New Jersey and New York City. Because the existing Transco pipeline capacity is fully utilized, the Gateway Expansion Project allows additional natural gas volumes to be transported to northeastern consumers. An abundant, reliable supply of natural gas is critical to help reduce carbon emissions and provide the flexibility needed to support a growing renewables component in power generation.”

Read more about the project at the company website here.

However, local activists have blasted the 27,500 horsepower expansion in Roseland, characterizing it as a ticking environmental time bomb… an allegation that Williams Transco has disputed.

• See related article: Proposed Pipeline Station Blasted By Essex County Official
• See related article: Pipeline Company Says No Plans For 2nd Compressor In Essex County

Now – after making its way through years of red tape and permit applications – Williams Transco finally has the necessary approvals to move forward in Roseland, a spokesperson recently told Patch.

• See related article: Controversial Essex County Pipeline Station Gets Key Permits

According to Williams spokesperson Christopher Stockton, activists' concerns are overblown.

"Station 303 is an electric motor-driven compressor station, therefore, there are no emissions from natural gas combustion associated with compression," Stockton told Patch. "The Transco pipeline has been safely operating in this area for decades, and the pipe in this area consists of both Class 3 and 4 pipe, which is the highest pipeline design class standard established by U.S. DOT code."

Stockton said it's important to note that station 303's horsepower addition will not result in an increase to the main pipeline's current operating pressure. In addition, the pipe will continue to be monitored 24/7 and will be "regularly tested" to validate its integrity.

Stockton previously told Patch:

• "The project minimizes impacts to landowners and the environment by increasing the utilization of existing pipeline infrastructure, rather than constructing new greenfield pipe."
• "Virtually all of the project activities are within existing rights of way and/or property boundaries."

FERC officials notified Williams Transco that the company is approved to begin construction activities for the Gateway Expansion Project on Feb. 25.

However, local elected officials and environmental groups are still dubious about the energy giant's claims about the Roseland station.

"Williams/Transco's proposal to more than double the horsepower of the Roseland compressor station should never have been approved," said Ted Glick, member of Roseland Against the Compressor Station (RACS) and president of 350NJ.

"This doubling of horsepower is wildly out of sync with the amount of new gas they say will be sent through it," Glick alleged. "It will increase safety risks for those living and working nearby and negatively affect air and water quality."

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said that the area is densely populated and that officials should be doing everything they can to protect its environment.

"The compressor station is already located in a vulnerable area and the expansion of the facility will impact our environment and potentially increase flooding," DiVincenzo said. "We respectfully ask that the NJDEP reconsider its decision about granting the permits."

In a joint statement, Roseland Mayor James Spango and Roseland Council President Chris Bardi said that they were "genuinely concerned" for the health and safety of the town's residents.

"The additional risks and environmental impacts that the expansion of this already underutilized compressor station brings outweigh the benefit to our community and our residents," Spango and Bardi stated. "We urge our residents to get informed, get involved, and continue to fight the expansion of this project."

Other elected officials to support the permit appeal with the DEP included Assemblywoman Mila Jasey, Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura, and Essex County freeholders Patricia Sebold, Romaine Graham and Len Luciano.

Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site here. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com