Transco Environmental Review Wrong, Ignores Impacts

Transco Environmental Review Wrong, Ignores Impacts
Date : Tue, 9 Sep 2014 11:33:54 -0400

For Immediate Release

September 9, 2014

Contact: Jeff Tittel, Director, NJ Sierra Club, 609-558-9100

Transco Environmental Review Wrong, Ignores Impacts

Today the New Jersey Sierra Club submitted comments slamming the Environmental Assessment (EA) prepared by FERC on Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Company's (Transco) Leidy Southeast Expansion Project.The review states the project will not result in any significant impacts but the route crosses environmentally sensitive areas, important streams and forests, and critical habitat.Sierra Club believes the EA violates federal law by reviewing the project's many loops separately and by not doing a thorough enough review on the cumulative impacts of the project.The report ignores the additional fracking the pipeline will encourage in the areas the projects connects to by expanding capacity as well as the cumulative regional impacts resulting from other projects such Transco's recently completed Northeast Supply Link project.Sierra Club is calling for a full Environmental Impact Statement to be prepared for the project.

"Once again FERC ignores the public when it comes to the impacts of these pipelines.What is worse, they are ignoring the environmental and health and safety impacts, and also now the law.Clearly FERC is not looking at secondary and cumulative impacts, violating NEPA, and must comply," said Jeff Tittel, Director, NJ Sierra Club."For far too long FERC has been on the side of the companies it is supposed to regulate rather than the people they are supposed to work for, us."

Earlier this year, in Delaware Riverkeeper vs. FERC, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia determined ignoring the impacts of other projects in the region, as done in this EA, violates NEPA.Impacts from other projects Transco has recently completed in the region and those being constructed and proposed by other companies must be evaluated.Additionally the EA separates the review of pipeline projects into individual loops.By this method, only the localized impacts of each loop, not their combined, magnified impact is assessed.

The EA also fails to provide a thorough review of the resulting cumulative impacts from additional future shale gas development by expanding the transportation system for this product.This project is being constructed specifically to serve fracking operations in Pennsylvania and the anticipated increase in Marcellus Shale development allowed by this expansion must be evaluated as an environmental consequence of the project.

The project will have impacts on sensitive areas across Hunterdon, Somerset, and Mercer Counties.The route crosses the Princeton Ridge, Sourland Mountains, and a number of preserved lands.The pipeline will have significant impacts on waterways, critical habitat, and forested areas.

"This dirty infrastructure will cause irreparable harm here at home in the Princeton Ridge, Sourland Mountains, and other protected and environmentally sensitive areas.FERC is not only ignoring and writing off these impacts, but also the damage this project will have on the region by allowing fracking operations to move more gas to market and increase production.As a result of this pipeline, the communities the infrastructure runs through and those near drill sites will see more air and water pollution," said Kate Millsaps, conservation program coordinator, NJ Sierra Club.

Based on Transco's dismal safety record, Sierra Club believes the project could have a significant impact on the region and a full Environmental Impact Statement should be prepared.Since 2006 the company's pipelines have been involved in at least 50 gas transmission incidents.^^[1] <#_ftn1>Last year an incident occurred at their pipeline here in Branchburg, New Jersey, injuring 13 workers.Just this year Transco experienced two major incidents at pipeline facilities.In West Virginia, a pipeline exploded burning down 2 acres of forest.In Wyoming a pipeline caught on fire resulting in the evacuation of 95 residents.

Transco is applying for a certificate of public convenience and necessity from FERC.Transco filed their application with FERC at the end of September 2013.The Leidy Southeast Expansion project would install over 12 miles of 42 inch pipeline in New Jersey.The Skillman Loop would run 6.36 miles through Princeton and Montgomery Townships. The Pleasant Run Loop would run 6.85 miles in Branchburg, Readington, and Clinton Townships.The Pennsylvania portions of the project are in Luzerne and Monroe counties.The comment period on the EA ends September 10, 2014.

"There is no need for this pipeline.The purpose is to promote fracking and the burning of fossil fuels that impact clean water and promote climate change. This pipeline is going to go through environmentally sensitive areas creating an ugly scar, adding to pollution, and putting people at risk. Just ask the people of Bellingham Washington, Burlingame, California and Edison, NJ. This line not only threatens the neighborhoods it passes through but threatens our environment," said Jeff Tittel.

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[1] <#_ftnref1>PHMSA. Operator Information TRANSCONTINENTAL GAS PIPE LINE COMPANY
http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/comm/reports/operator/OperatorIM_opid_19570.html?nocache=7370#/h 

 --  Kate Millsaps Conservation Program Coordinator NJ Chapter of the Sierra Club 609-656-7612