niedbala@observer-reporter.com
WAYNESBURG - Texas Eastern Transmission LP has filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to expand its Holbrook compressor station.
The company plans to increase the capacity of the station, adjacent to Ryerson Station State Park, to allow it to transport Rocky Mountain natural gas from a supply point in Clarington, Ohio, to markets in the Mid-Atlantic and New England states.
The Northern Bridge Project will not involve construction of new pipelines, according to FERC filings, but it does entail adding compressors at the company's Holbrook and Uniontown compressor stations.
According to the FERC, work at Holbrook includes installing a new 13,333-horsepower compressor, upgrading an existing compressor, which will result in a 1,083 horsepower increase, and abandoning four existing compressors, resulting in a 5,400-horsepower reduction.
The new compressor also will require construction of a new building and the necessary support infrastructure.
The company filed the application on April 1 with the FERC, which subsequently issued a notice of intent to prepare an environmental assessment on the project.
The notice was discussed Monday by the Greene County Planning Commission, which agreed to comment on the plan to the FERC.
Robbie Matesic, executive director of the county's department of development, said following the meeting that it's not certain whether the project will have any adverse impacts on the area.
However, she said, the planning commission believes the FERC should look at possible community impact such as recreation and environmental justice issues involving impacts on areas with high low-income populations.
Most of the issues to be addressed by the FERC environmental assessment involve technical issues, Matesic said. "We'd like to know the cumulative impacts on the community," she said.
The planning commission also gave Matesic authority to confer with the commission's solicitor regarding whether the commission should file as an intervenor in the case.
The time period established by the FERC for public comments regarding possible environmental issues related to the project expires today.
FERC spokeswoman Tamara Young-Allen said, however, the commission usually will accept late comments as long as the reason for the lateness is explained.
The FERC notice indicates the environmental assessments will consider geology, soils, land use, water resources, cultural resources, vegetation, wildlife, air quality, noise, hazardous waste and public safety.
The notice also indicates the FERC has identified issues it believes may deserve attention based on a preliminary review. These include air emissions, noise, cultural resources and visual impacts.
The Holbrook station has been in operation since the mid-1950s. A company spokesman could not be reached Tuesday for comment.