Stop NY Fracked Gas

Pipeline

The Pipeline RouteNORTHEAST ENERGY DIRECT PROJECT (NED)

This project consists of two new transmission lines, the new one across MA andanother from Susquehanna Co, PA to Wright NY along with expansion loops along existing 200 and 300 lines in all three states1

1-Kinder Morgan / Tennessee Gas Pipeline letter to ISO New England

Gas intended for Boston and Beyond

New York is simply a conduit for gas from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts and the Canadian Maritimes. We experience the risks without a benefit. Land can be taken from us through “eminent domain,” but the “common good” has not yet been proven.

From the Federal Energy Regulatory Commissions booklet What Do I Need to Know?

Q: Can I receive service from the pipeline?

A: No, not in most cases. Generally speaking, interstate pipelines are operating at pressures incompatible with direct residential use, which is provided by local distribution companies.

About the Pipeline— A buried 30-36” high-pressure natural gas transmission line

containing natural gas obtained by hydraulic fracturing

— The permitting process falls under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) purview

— Capacity of this pipeline could be up to 2.2 billion cu. ft./day 1

— Will maintain pressure up to 1,460 psi to allow for “line packing,” storing as much gas as possible in the pipe.2 The existing pipelines have an approximate psi of 500.

1-Allen Fore, Kinder Morgan Public Relations Director, select board meeting, Warwick MA, May 13, 2014 2-Mark Hamarich, Construction Manager for NED, Richmond select board meeting, June 4, 2014

About the Pipeline

— Automatic Shut-Off valves range from 2-1/2 in urban areas to 10-12 miles apart in rural areas1

— Ruptures and explosions can create super-hot extended burns until miles of gas between shut-off valves burns off2

— Will only need “Class 1” pipeline (thinnest allowable gauge) for rural construction areas1

1-Mark Hamarich, Construction Manager for NED, FRCOG & FRPB meeting, July 24, 2014 & PG&E Pipeline Natural Gas FAQ

2-American Gas Association, Natural Gas Consumer Information PDF

3-Northern Natural Gas Safety & Public Awareness General Guidance for Emergency Responders & Jim Hartman, TGP Right of Way Agent, select board meeting, Warwick, MA, May 13, 2014

Over 990 “Significant Incidents” on gas transmission lines since 2000 MORE THAN ONE A WEEK NATIONWIDE

34 Fatalities • 137 Injuries • Over $1.5 billion in property damage

Safety procedures

Industry instructions for local emergency crews are 1

• Contact the pipeline company• Secure the area• Evacuate as necessary• Stay upwind• Do not attempt to put out fire or operate valves• Attempt medical assistance if it is safe to do so• Establish command center for when pipeline company team arrives

1-Northern Natural Gas Safety & Public Awareness General Guidance for Emergency Responders & Jim Hartman, TGP Right of Way Agent, select board meeting, Warwick, MA, May 13, 2014

One of the causes of pipeline rupture can be frost heaves, as was the case in a recent gas transmission line

explosion in Minnesota.1

1-Allen Fore, Kinder Morgan Public Relations Director, select board meeting,

Montague, MA, April 7, 2014

Depth of Pipeline

TGP’s new pipeline is planned to be 3 feet deep.

In the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s booklet, What Do I Need to Know? given to affected landowners, they state that, “In special cases, the pipeline could be buried deeper (48 – 60 inches) where agricultural practices or other issues warrant additional cover.”

Do our frost conditions or agriculture practices warrant these considerations?

20” Pipeline in Sissonville, WV - 2012 30” is 2.25 times the volume • 36” is 3.25 times the volume

Gas leaks

TheuraNl Gas i“Natural gas is odorless. An odorant, which smells like rotten eggs, is generally added for quick leak detection in more populated areas on interstate transmission pipelines and in local distribution pipelines in accordance with U.S. Department of Transportation safety regulations.”1

But this is not required in rural areas. Kinder Morgan says that they have put odorants in the line from Wright because Massachusetts Law requires it and the gas from Wright will eventually go through Massachusetts. Shouldn’t NY have a similar law?1 Federal Energy Regulatory Commissions booklet What Do I Need to Know?

Is Natural Gas cleaner?Natural gas is 94% methane. Pure methane burns cleaner than other fossil fuels. This means that the combustion process is more complete to carbon dioxide (CO2) and water. (Comment: Because of the higher hydrogen-to-carbon ratio.)

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas: 70 - 86 times more powerful than CO2 over 25 years, 25-36 times over 100 years and 5 times more after 500 years

Fracked natural gas is released to the atmosphere in large volumes in the drilling process, the transmission lines, compressor stations, pigging operations and finally in old leaky distribution systems. Additional volumes are releases in the liquefaction and transport on LNG carriers.

Data on these releases suggest that fracking is actually accelerating global climate change.

Exemptions to the

•Clean Air Act, •Clean Water Act, •Safe Drinking Water Act, •Superfund Act and•Freedom of Information Act,

were granted to the Oil and Gas Industry as part of the 2005 Energy Act (collectively referred to as the “Halliburton Loophole”).

These exemptions are the root cause of these large gas releases to the atmosphere.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court wrote

“By any responsible account, the exploitation of the Marcellus Shale Formation will produce a detrimental effect on the environment, on the people, their children, and future generations, and potentially on the public purse, perhaps rivaling the environmental effects of coal extraction.”

Therefore, claims that natural gas is a cleaner energy source than coal and oil are not warranted.

Finally, the comparison of cleanliness must include solar and wind.

Chemicals used in Hydraulic Fracturing carry through transmission lines

Air sample testing near compressor stations1 and of gas in transmission lines2 included: benzene, dimethyldisulfide, trimethyl benzene,diethyl benzene, tetramethyl benzene, carbon disulfide,nephthalenes, methyl pyridine, carbonyl sulfide, toluene among others.

Over 60 known carcinogens, neurotoxins and endocrine disrupters

1-Town of Dish, TX, Ambient Air Monitoring Analysis Final Report”, Alisa Rich, MPH, PhDc, President, Wolf Eagle Environmental, September 15, 2009,

2-Environmental Public Health Dimensions of Shale and Tight Gas Development”, Seth B. Shonkoff, Jake Hays, and Madelon L. Finkel, April 16, 2014, published by National Institutes of Health

Long term exposure to pollutants

— Chronic exposure to low levels of benzene can lead to anemia, a decrease in blood platelets, and may increase one’s risk of getting cancer. (US EPA, 2012).

— Chronic exposure to toluene over time can lead to problems in the nervous system, kidneys and liver (US EPA, 2012).

— Ethylbenzene has been found to cause liver and kidn ey damage as well as being ototoxic after chronic exposures (US EPA, 2012). Ototoxic means damage caused to the ear or its nerve supply due to a toxin.

— Chronic exposure to Xylene can cause damage to the nervous system (Jacobson, 2012).

According to an EPA 2011 report, xylene was found in 44 products that are commonly used in hydraulic fracturing fluid, toluene was found in 29 products, ethylbenzene was found in 28 products, and benzene was found in 3 products (Waxman, 2011)

*Human Health Effects of Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids BTEX Compounds, Andersen, Fenton, Friedman, Jackson & Morrison, University of Vermont, 2013

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What happens when the pipelines are abandoned?

Federal Energy Regulatory Commissions booklet, What Do I Need to Know? says,

A: A pipeline company may request authorization for a pipeline to be “abandoned in place.” In this case, the pipeline is physically separated from its source of gas and is no longer maintained. The pipeline is sealed at both ends and left in the ground...

Q: Will I be notified if abandonment is proposed? A: You will probably be notified by the company if it proposes to relinquish the easement as part of the abandonment and the easement is not being transferred to another company. Otherwise, you may be notified by the Commission as part of the environmental analysis of the project.

Compressor Stations

• Additional stations will be necessary to maintain 2.2Bcf/day capacity 1

• We currently have one in Malden Bridge, NY. A new compressor station is planned somewhere in Columbia County.

• Barn size facilities - Conway/Ashfield compressor on 50 acres 2

• 10 ft. diameter exhaust fans that run 24/7 and substantial lighting at night• Noise levels usually range from 50-90 decibels at distance• Regularly exhaust and “blow down” methane gas and drilling chemical

residues as part of regular operations to depressurize line1-Allen Fore, Kinder Morgan Public Relations Director, select board meeting, Warwick, MA, May 13, 2014

2- Mark Hamarich, FRCOG & FRPB meeting, Greenfield, MA, July 24, 2014

All other info: American Gas Association

Compressor Stations

Chatham, NY Compressor Station

The proposed NED Project Market Path Mid Station 1Columbia County, New York will be

located at a potential site adjacent to the proposed mainline within the limits of the shaded band

1) Gas company and FERC required to hold public hearings with towns in which the pipeline is to be built

Compressor StationsTEEL COMPRESSOR STATION in PA

Landowner Issues— Presence of a transmission line may lower your property value and that

of your neighbors by as much as 10-30%1

— The average initial offer for similar projects is: $1 per inch of diameter of the pipe for 1 linear foot x # of feet (i.e. 30” dia. pipeline x 500 ft = $15,000 one-time pay-out)2

— Landowners continue to pay taxes and hold liability on the easement1

— No trees, pools, ponds or permanent structures can be put on the 50’ wide easement once the pipeline is constructed.3

--- If TGP get their Certificate of Public Convenience & Necessity,they can take the easement on your land by eminent domain.4

--- What happens when pipelines are abandoned and no longer maintained by the company?

1-Johns Marrs Ellis & Hodge LLP Forensic Appraisal Group & consultation with town of Lee, Massachusettsproperty listings that currently have pipelines.

2-Atty. Jay Duffy, Clean Air Action, independent consultant for landowners faced with TGP pipeline3-Jim Hartman, TGP Right of Way Agent, select board meeting, Montague, MA, April 7, 20144-FERC Citizen’s Guide

Stages of Pipeline Development

1) TGP/Kinder Morgan has completed their initial Planning and Survey stage.

2) On September 16, 2014 they filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to begin the pre-filing process.

3) The pre-filing process allows the gas company to get the kinks out of its proposal.

4) TGP/Kinder Morgan hopes to file with FERC for its “Certificate of Convenience & Public Necessity” in September 2015

5) Gas company and FERC required to hold public hearings with towns in which the pipeline is to be built

6) FERC decides whether to grant “Certificate of Convenience & Public Necessity.”

7) Construction begins when FERC grants the Certificate. The company hopes they can begin construction in January 2017 and have them in service by November 2018.

PUBLIC OPPOSITION in Massachusetts— Statewide Petition to Ban New Natural Gas Pipelines and Champion Efficiency and Renewable Energy, over 12,000 signatures online and on paper— Town Resolutions32 out of 32 towns & cities that have held votes so far have passed Resolutions to ban new pipelines within town borders, or Resolutions in favor of town rights to maintain local control. • Ashby• Ashfield• Berlin• Bolton• Buckland• Chesterfield• Conway• Cummington• Dalton• Deerfield• Gill

• Greenfield• Groton• Lenox• Leverett• Montague• Northampton• Northfield• Orange• Pelham*

• Pepperell

• Plainfield• Richmond• Sandisfield• Shelburne• Templeton• Townsend• Warwick• Wendell• Winchendon• Windsor• Worthington

POLITICAL OPPOSITIONIn Masssachusetts

— Statement from Senator Ed Markey

“I oppose this pipeline … because it raises serious questions about whether it is too massive for Massachusetts’ energy needs, does not respect the rights and wishes of local residents, would worsen climate change, and could lead to the export of natural gas to foreign countries, raising prices for Massachusetts businesses

and consumers.”

Senator Edward J. Markey

POLITICAL OPPOSITIONIn Massachusetts

— Statement from Sen. Elizabeth Warren

“Before we sink more money in gas infrastructure, we have an obligation wherever possible to focus our investments on the clean technologies of the future -- not the dirty fuels of the past -- and to minimize the environmental impact of all our energy infrastructure projects. We can do better - and we should.”

Senator Elizabeth WarrenBerkshire Eagle Op Ed, Aug. 12, 2014

LAND TRUST & CONSERVATION GROUPS who have issued statementsFranklin Land TrustNashua River Watershed AssociationMass Association of Conservation Commissions Mass Audubon Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition Mount Grace Letter to the GovernorNashoba Conservations Trust North Quabbin Energy Rattlesnake Gutter TrustTrustees of Reservations

Endorsement

The Columbia County Environmental Management Council unanimously endorsed a resolution against the pipeline similar to the one we are presenting tonight.

Advantages

• One time payment to Property owners• Yearly tax payments to town• Possible economic benefit from temporary

workers using local services

Disadvantages

• Disruption of property during construction

• Risks of leaks and explosions which could contaminate our soil, water and air. (Thinner pipeline and odorless gas in rural areas increases our risks of leaks and explosions.)

• Our public safety officials do not have the equipment to fight a fire or explosion. Company policy is to let fires burn between 10 mile shut-off valves.

• Chemical off-gassing of over 60 known carcinogens, neurotoxins and endocrine disrupters can create serious health risks.

• The proposed pipeline is contrary to the rural character of Chatham.

• Landowners face loss in property value, more difficulty in selling their home, less control over their property and increased insurance costs, but they still pay taxes on land used for pipeline. In case of accidents, liability is uncertain.

• NY will not benefit or use any of this gas.

• Eventually the pipelines will be abandoned and will be the responsibility of the landowner.

Let’s focus energy on new green initiatives

New York’s renewable Portfolio Standard requires that 30% of electricity come from renewables by 2015. Let’s focus our energy on new, clean, energy rather than investing large amounts of money and infrastructure in old-fashioned, dirty, finite, fossil fuels. .

Let’s encourage:

• NYSERDA energy audits

• Chatham to become a green community

Reduce leaks

Massachusetts just passed a resolutions to request state & federal legislators to enact laws to tighten inspections of pipelines and reduce leaks in distribution transmissions. This will increase safety and usable gas and decrease leaks, explosions and climate change.

Let’s do the same in New York.

We rely on town officials to protect our health and safety and our town

resources.

We hope you will pass the following resolution…

RESOLUTION: Whereas the Town of Chatham has recently learned that

1.  A proposed 30-36” Kinder-Morgan/Tennessee Gas Pipeline carrying highly pressurized gas (extracted by fracking) traversing seventeen properties in the town of Chatham would create substantial risks of loss of life, serious property damage, explosion, and leakage of methane, radon and toxic chemicals, and 

  

2.  Local fire and EMT departments do not have the training, equipment or suppressive foam to control such disasters and are told by the gas company to simply let burn the 10 mile area between shut off valves, and   

 

3. Compressor stations when in use give off gases, noise, and require bright lights. This project will require the building of an additional compression station in Columbia County.

4. The higher pressure and usage of dangerous chemicals in the extraction process associated with this proposed pipeline will result in (further) losses to seventeen property values that would reduce the tax base income in our towns, reduce each individual owner’s property value and limit their access to mortgage loan capability and therefore resale, and substantially increase homeowner’s insurance costs, and

5. Easement or eminent domain agreements will allow the pipeline owners access to the pipeline 24 hours per day, 7 days a week and will expose this land to herbicide and pesticide spraying, and

6. Such pipeline will not offer the citizens of the Town of Chatham access to natural gas, and

7. Construction of the pipeline will not offer permanent employment to town residents and may stress our town’s infrastructure, and

8. This proposed pipeline is not in alignment with Chatham’s Comprehensive Plan which states that, “… Protection and wise management of those Natural Resources through preservation of natural habitats, careful management of land/water resources, and preservation of existing agricultural lands is a mandate for the Town and its residents.”

Therefore…

HEREBY RESOLVED, by the Town Board of Chatham, that it opposes any action by Tennessee Gas Pipeline, LLC to route its proposed high pressure interstate gas pipeline through Chatham and will meet with vigorous opposition.

 

HEREBY RESOLVED, by the Town Board of Chatham that this resolution be presented to our state and national representatives (Senator Charles Schumer, Senator Kirsten Gilibrand, Representative Chris Gibson, Assembly Member Steven McLaughlin, State Senator Kathy Marchione) as the position of the Town of Chatham in opposition to the proposed pipeline through our town.

HEREBY RESOLVED, by the Town Board of Chatham, that it will seek to be an intervener to register its concerns when the proposal for certification receives a docket number from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

For more information:

Nofrackedgasinmass.org

Stopthepipeline.org

https://www.facebook.com/stopnyfrackedgaspipeline

http://www.nofrackedgsinmass.org/columbia-county-news