Proposed Pipeline Station Blasted By Essex County Official

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — When Williams/Transco built a gas compressor station on Eagle Rock Avenue in Roseland – just a short walk from the Essex County Environmental Center – it set off waves of protest from local activists and government officials that lasted for years.

Now the energy giant wants to build another one at the same spot.

On Friday, Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. released a letter that he wrote to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). In his letter, DiVincenzo blasts the company's proposal to construct a new, 27,500 horsepower gas compressor station at its site on Eagle Rock Avenue in Roseland.

DiVincenzo urged the NJDEP to reject Williams/Transco’s application for a Freshwater Wetlands Permit and demanded a public hearing be held so the community can share their concerns about the compressor station site and the proposed expansion. (Read his full letter below)

“Doubling the capacity of the compressor station will increase by twofold the inherent dangers of having a pipeline passing through a densely populated area,” DiVincenzo said. “In addition, the existing compressor station, as well as the new one, is on wetlands. This encroachment poses great risks to the local ecosystem and environment.”

DiVincenzo added:

“There also is great concern about safety in the area, considering the compressor station’s location adjacent to a PSE&G switching station and high tension electric lines, as well as its close proximity to the Passaic River… We would also like to point out that there is great mistrust and fear in the community, especially since a large amount of gas was released without notice in 2013 during the construction of the first compressor station. This created panic, including the evacuation of an elementary school.”

• See related article: Roseland Activists Want Answers About Pipeline Compressor Station
• See related article: Transco Says 'Gas Smell' Near Roseland Compressor Station Isn't Hazardous

According to Roseland Against the Compressor Station (RACS), a grassroots organization formed in 2013 to fight the facility’s expansion, the station is part of Williams/Transco's Northeast Supply Link Expansion project, which runs under several North Jersey 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."

Local government bodies that have expressed opposition to the pipeline include the townships of Nutley and Bloomfield, and the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Earlier this week, activists with RACS listed a variety of concerns about the proposed addition in Roseland. Some of their allegations included:

• “If permitted and built, the Gateway Expansion Project would significantly increase the amount of compressed natural gas flowing through Roseland Borough. It would increase the amount of toxic pollution released through leakage and deliberate gas blowdowns into the surrounding areas.”
• “There is no provision for any new pipelines in connection with this project, which means that there would be a 13% increase, at least, based upon Williams projections, in the pressure inside the 60-year-old pipeline.”
• “The company applying for this permit, Williams Transco, has only been required to conduct the bare minimum Environmental Assessment for this project, which means no public hearings have been held, nor have any studies been conducted to determine the potential impacts to New Jersey's critical water resources that fall within the proposed project area or the potentially affected areas the 60-year-old pipeline runs through.”

A Williams/Transco spokesman previously told Patch that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the 2013 expansion and station in Roseland without requesting additional environmental or safety studies.

"We are committed to the safe operation of this facility, just as we are the other compressor facilities we operate in New Jersey and across the country,” the spokesperson said.

He also spoke about the necessity of the station, as well as safety measures the company is taking to prevent any emergency incidents:

"The Transco pipeline delivers about half of the natural gas consumed in New Jersey, and facilities like this are important to ensure that gas is reliably and safely delivered to consumers. The [Roseland] station is equipped with federally-required and industry-recognized safety features such as pressure relief valves, emergency shutdown systems, and gas detection devices. It is also monitored 24/7 by our operations control center."

JOE DIVINCENZO: ‘INHERENT DANGERS, GREAT MISTRUST’

DiVincenzo’s full letter to the NJDEP follows below. Have a different opinion? Learn more about posting op-eds and announcements to your local Patch site here.

"As Essex County Executive, I am against the proposal by Williams/Transco to construct a second gas compressor station at their site on Eagle Rock Avenue in Roseland and encourage the NJ Department of Environmental Protection to reject the application for a Freshwater Wetlands Permit. In addition, Essex joins with the Borough of Roseland, Roseland Against the Compressor Station, NJ Sierra Club, Food and Water Watch, 350 NJ and Essex Greens Renewable Energy Campaign in requesting that a public hearing be held so the community can share their concerns about the compressor station site and the proposed expansion.

"Adding a second 27,500 horsepower compressor station is not appropriate for the Roseland location. The volume of compressed gas traveling through Roseland and other surrounding communities is already great. Doubling the capacity of the compressor station will increase by twofold the inherent dangers of having a pipeline passing through a densely populated area. In addition, the existing compressor station, as well as the new one, is on wetlands. This encroachment poses great risks to the local ecosystem and environment.

"There also is great concern about safety in the area, considering the compressor station’s location adjacent to a PSE&G switching station and high tension electric lines, as well as its close proximity to the Passaic River. These wetlands are susceptible to flooding and, considering the increasing severity of storms this area has been experiencing, creating more development on wetlands is ill-advised.

"We would also like to point out that there is great mistrust and fear in the community, especially since a large amount of gas was released without notice in 2013 during the construction of the first compressor station. This created panic, including the evacuation of an elementary school.

"I do not understand why a public hearing about a project of this magnitude - one that directly impacts our environment, safety and quality of life - has not been scheduled. Gathering public input is beneficial to the success of any project. It keeps the public informed, allows ideas to be shared and concerns addressed. The fact that this important step is being bypassed creates suspicion and exacerbates the mistrust felt by the community. We request that a public meeting be held before any decision about the Freshwater Wetlands Permit sought by Williams/Transco is made. I appreciate your time in this matter. Working together we will continue putting Essex County first."

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Photo: Roseland Against Compressor Station