Essex County Activists Not Giving Up Fight Against Pipeline Co. – Caldwells, NJ Patch
ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Although the permits are reportedly in place, activists and elected officials continue to fight against the controversial expansion of a natural gas compressor station in Essex County.
On Thursday, a coalition of officials and grassroots environmental activists joined forces to protest the Williams Transco Gateway Expansion Project in Roseland, asking the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to reconsider its recent decision to approve two wetlands permits for the project.
Opponents of the expansion – which would reportedly double the station’s horsepower – include Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr., Roseland Mayor James Spango, members of the Roseland Council and representatives of Roseland Against the Compressor Station, New Jersey Sierra Club, Food and Water Watch and 350NJ.
According to a joint statement from the coalition:
“The first permit being appealed would allow Williams Transco to construct a new bridge and driveway and disturb about half an acre of land for use as temporary work space. The second permit being appealed would allow the pipeline company to temporarily use another half-acre parcel for construction and equipment storage, staging, parking and mobile office space.”
The group is arguing that the disturbance of the wetlands, whether it is permanent or temporary, will result in the removal of trees, change the soil, hydrology and land use of the area, result in additional flooding and negatively impact the Passaic River ecosystem.
In addition, the compressor station itself poses a public safety risk because of the toxic chemicals and greenhouse gases released from the facility, the group alleged.
Williams Transco has been trying to beef up its current compressor station in Roseland for years as part of its Gateway Expansion Project, a larger effort to revamp the Transco interstate natural gas pipeline and provide additional service to New Jersey and New York.
The energy giant has claimed that the Gateway Expansion Project is needed to help it provide New Jersey with more than half of its natural gas, including to utility companies such as PSE&G.
However, local activists have blasted the 27,500 horsepower expansion in Roseland, characterizing it as a ticking environmental time bomb… an allegation that Williams Transco has disputed.
Now – after making its way through years of red tape and permit applications – Williams Transco finally has the necessary approvals to move forward in Roseland, a spokesperson told Patch earlier this month.
According to Williams spokesperson Christopher Stockton, activists’ concerns are overblown.
“Station 303 is an electric motor-driven compressor station, therefore, there are no emissions from natural gas combustion associated with compression,” Stockton told Patch. “The Transco pipeline has been safely operating in this area for decades, and the pipe in this area consists of both Class 3 and 4 pipe, which is the highest pipeline design class standard established by U.S. DOT code.”
Stockton said it’s important to note that station 303’s horsepower addition will not result in an increase to the main pipeline’s current operating pressure. In addition, the pipe will continue to be monitored 24/7 and will be “regularly tested” to validate its integrity.
Stockton previously told Patch:
- “The project minimizes impacts to landowners and the environment by increasing the utilization of existing pipeline infrastructure, rather than constructing new greenfield pipe.”
- “Virtually all of the project activities are within existing rights of way and/or property boundaries.”
FERC officials notified Williams Transco that the company is approved to begin construction activities for the Gateway Expansion Project on Feb. 25.
However, local elected officials and environmental groups are still dubious about the energy giant’s claims about the Roseland station.
“Williams/Transco’s proposal to more than double the horsepower of the Roseland compressor station should never have been approved,” said Ted Glick, member of Roseland Against the Compressor Station (RACS) and president of 350NJ.
“This doubling of horsepower is wildly out of sync with the amount of new gas they say will be sent through it,” Glick alleged. “It will increase safety risks for those living and working nearby and negatively affect air and water quality.”
Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said that the area is densely populated and that officials should be doing everything they can to protect its environment.
“The compressor station is already located in a vulnerable area and the expansion of the facility will impact our environment and potentially increase flooding,” DiVincenzo said. “We respectfully ask that the NJDEP reconsider its decision about granting the permits.”
In a joint statement, Roseland Mayor James Spango and Roseland Council President Chris Bardi said that they were “genuinely concerned” for the health and safety of the town’s residents.
“The additional risks and environmental impacts that the expansion of this already underutilized compressor station brings outweigh the benefit to our community and our residents,” Spango and Bardi stated. “We urge our residents to get informed, get involved, and continue to fight the expansion of this project.”
Other elected officials to support the permit appeal with the DEP included Assemblywoman Mila Jasey, Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura, and Essex County freeholders Patricia Sebold, Romaine Graham and Len Luciano.
According to Matthew Smith, senior organizer with Food & Water Watch, that list should also include Gov. Phil Murphy.
“If Governor Murphy wants to accomplish his own climate and clean energy goals, he must take immediate action to halt dirty, dangerous and unnecessary fossil fuel expansion projects like the Roseland compressor station,” Smith said. “There is no way to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions while approving new polluting projects that will increase those emissions.”
Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, blasted the DEP for “siding with dirty power and dirty water” in granting permits for the Roseland compressor station.
“The DEP was wrong in granting these permits based on their own rules as well as violating the public trust,” Tittel charged. “The Roseland compressor station is dangerous to the health, safety and environment of anyone living near it.”
According to Tittel, the Roseland station sits in a flood plain of the Passaic River, “one of the most flood-prone rivers in the country.” Filling in wetlands will increase flooding, he said. Industrial runoff including metals such as chromium, volatile organic chemicals and oil will be released into the river.
“The DEP said the station will cause temporary disturbance to the buffer, but there is no such thing,” Tittel stated. “The project will cause permanent damage, cutting down trees and removing wetlands that act as natural storm barriers and water filters. Increased flooding will impact properties and drinking water intakes. An explosion or leak would threaten communities, destroy important habitat and add pollution to the waterways.”
Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site here. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com