Pipeline Foes Ask for More Review, Feds Continue OK'ing Project

As officials and residents concerned about Spectra Energy’s pipeline expansion plan plead for more review, federal officials have said work can begin on the project in Connecticut.

Assemblywoman Sandy Galef and Assemblyman David Buchwald sent letters to the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Aug. 4 pushing for a truly independent risk assessment of the impact a new high pressure pipeline could have on the Indian Point reactors in Buchanan.

Susan Van Dolsen, a cofounder of Stop the Algonquin Pipeline Expansion (SAPE) spoke at the Monday meeting of the Westchester County Board of Legislators.

“Last August, the Westchester County legislature passed a bipartisan health and safety resolution, including a call for an independent, transparent, comprehensive risk assessment of the Spectra AIM pipeline’s siting next to the Indian Point nuclear facility,“ she said, according to a press release. “We implore our legislators and the County Executive to demand in writing that Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission sanction an independent risk assessment immediately. Our elected officials’ primary responsibility is to protect the health and safety of the residents of Westchester County and we are counting on you.”

They all cite testimony pipeline expert Richard Kuprewicz and nuclear expert Paul Blanch have given to the NRC about significant flaws in the analyses conducted to date that have been used by FERC to issue an approval for the pipeline to be sited near Indian Point and to allow for the start of construction. In addition to using loosely hand drawn diagrams in place of vigorous verifiable calculations, the analyses also failed to look at an hour by hour roll out of what happens when a gas line ruptures, especially if such a rupture were to take place in the vicinity of the nuclear power plant, the officials said.

Meanwhile, FERC on Aug. 7 granted Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC’s request to proceed with the construction of the Connecticut section of the AIM project, the first of several planned by Spectra to expand the existing Algonquin pipeline:

“I grant your August 4, 2015 request for Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC (Algonquin) to construct the Algonquin Incremental Market Project Southeast to MLV 19 Take-up and Relay pipeline segment from Station 233+95.3 to 234+09.1 in Danbury, Connecticut.

In considering this notice to proceed, we have determined that Algonquin’s Initial Implementation Plan, filed on March 27, 2015, as supplemented on August 4, 2015, includes the information necessary to meet the pre-construction conditions in the Commission’s March 3, 2015 Order Issuing Certificate (Order) issued in the above-referenced docket applicable to these facilities. In addition, we have confirmed the receipt of all federal authorizations relevant to the approved activity herein.”

The company already received permission to start expanding its compressor station in Rockland County.

RELATED:

• Spectra to Start Compressor Station Expansion in Stony Point
• Feds Approve Spectra’s AIM Project
• FERC Says Environmental Impacts of Pipeline Expansion Minimal
• Puglisi Asks DEC to Say No to the Algonquin Pipeline
• Is Algonquin Expansion Part of System Upgrade: FERC
• Spectra Files Next Stage of Algonquin Pipeline Expansion
• Pipeline Foes in 4 States Join to Fight Spectra Expansion
• Schumer, Gillibrand, Lowey Call for More Pipeline Review
• Spectra Seeks May 4 OK to Build Pipeline Staging Areas in Montrose, Pomona