The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is conducting a series of four public meetings (called scoping sessions) for both the Williams Leidy South Project (see Williams Planning 2 New, 2 Upgraded Compressor Stations in NEPA) and the National Fuel Gas Company FM100 Project (see NFG FM100 Pipe Project in NW PA to Feed Marcellus Gas to Transco). Both projects work together to flow more Marcellus gas to the Transco Zone 6 region.
The first scoping session was held last night in Dallas, PA, near Wilkes-Barre where Williams is planning to build a new compressor station. The next session is today in Schuylkill County, then a session tomorrow in McKean County, and a final session on Thursday in Clinton County.
Folks can show up at any of the sessions to talk about either Leidy South or FM100, but of course most people will show up to the session closest to them. The one article we found about last night’s session in Luzerne County (written by the Citizens’ Voice, owned by the virulent anti-drilling Scranton Times-Tribune), features a single anti. And the anti was not even from Luzerne County! He bemoaned the fact that his fellow antis didn’t turn up to complain about any of these projects.
What we find interesting is that it appears nobody showed up from Luzerne, near where the Williams compressor will get built, to complain. We find that unusual.
The one anti who showed up was from Columbia County. Presumably this was the closest scoping session to where he lives. One of two compressor stations Williams is expanding as part of the Leidy South Project is in Columbia County (two expanded compressors, two brand new compressors, four total in Leidy South). He was there to complain about expanding an existing station near him, while nobody from Luzerne showed up to complain about a brand new station getting built!
Dean Marshall admits he was disappointed with the turnout at a public information session Monday about a proposed natural gas compressor station in Sweet Valley.
Federal regulators and gas company officials, each sending about eight representatives, far exceeded members of the public throughout the two-hour session.
“It’s going to cause trouble for noise, vibration and pollution,” Marshall, 65, of Benton Twp., Columbia County, said of the compressor station.
Williams Companies is seeking to build a new compressor station near the border of Fairmount and Ross townships to help funnel more natural gas to market.
Critics like Marshall said the gas company is bypassing Pennsylvania homes to other markets around the country and world.
Officials with Williams insist local need is being met before the gas is outsourced. They note the more gas produced and entering the market is a financial benefit to the state and its residents.
The new compressor station is going to help expedite the process of getting gas from the northern tier to the Leidy pipeline, which runs west to east through northern Luzerne County. After the gas passes through the compressor station, it will be filtered the newer Atlantic Sunrise pipeline, which runs from Columbia County to Lancaster County, where it meets the Transco pipeline, which runs between New York City and Corpus Christi, Texas.
“We are seeing growing demand,” said Mike Atchie, an executive with Williams.
He insisted all expansion projects are heavily regulated by the state and federal government.
The meeting, officially know as a “scoping” session, was hosted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which set up tables for people to give written or oral comments transcribed by a court reporter. The feedback will be used in making a final ruling on the project’s application.
“The point is to get comments and concerns residents have on a project and ultimately those are some of the things we will look at in our environmental review,” said David Hanobic, project manager for the commission.*
*Wilkes-Barre (PA) Citizens’ Voice (Mar 19, 2019) – Low turnout for session on proposed compressor station
The final three scoping sessions will be held:
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
5:00 – 7:30 pm
Tri-Valley High School
155 East Main Street
Heggins, PA 17938
570-682-3125
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
5:00 – 7:30 pm
Port Allegany High School
20 Oak Street
Port Allegany, PA 16743
814-642-2544
Thursday, March 21, 2019
5:00 – 7:30 pm
Bucktail Area High School
1300 Bucktail Avenue
Renovo, PA 17764
570-923-1166
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