South Brunswick Resident Thanks Mayor Gambatese for Fighting Transco Compressor Station

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ - An anonymous South Brunswick resident wrote in to Patch, thanking Mayor Frank Gambatese for the fighting stance he has taken against the Transco pipeline natural gas compressor station. Williams, the wealthy Oklahoma-based energy company that maintains the Transco natural gas pipeline, wants to build the compressor station near the intersection of Rt. 518 and Rt. 27 in Franklin Township. Princeton Manor is now closest to where the Transco pipeline station will be built, as well as Baumley Nursery and Madden's Greenhouse, although the Williams Company says the nearest resident will be about a half mile away. That's how the proposed station would look, in a rendering provided by Williams.

Thankful to Mayor Gambatese:

Hello! I am a resident of South Brunswick and live in a community close to the proposed sites. We are grateful to Mayor Gambatese for offering his full support to the residents in trying to do what is best for the people and environment around us. We hope for the continued support and the officials' guidance in doing what is right for the people and environment of our community. We welcome any suggestions on how our community can help this cause. Thanks.

Williams, which is moving record amounts of natural gas across the country on their Transco pipeline, said they specifically chose a site that minimizes potential impacts to residential areas, as well as to wetlands and waterbodies. The nearest home would be about a half mile away, Williams spokesman Chris Stockton said. Residents say the compressor gas station would alter the environment and release toxins into the air, such as benzene, toluene, sulfuric oxide, and formaldehyde. There have also been explosions at natural gas compressor stations.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) must give approval for Williams to build the natural gas compressor station. The compressor station would aid the flow of natural gas into New York City, carried on the Transco pipepline. Since the 1960s, there have been two Transco pipelines that run underground through Franklin Township.

The land where they want to build it is currently owned by Trap Rock Quarry, which would sell it to Williams if the federal government approves the station.