Bill Text: NJ SR45 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Expresses to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission opposition to proposed Northeast Supply Enhancement Project; urges consideration of certain alternative projects.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-13 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Environment and Energy Committee [SR45 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-SR45-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator CHRISTOPHER "KIP" BATEMAN
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
Expresses to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission opposition to proposed Northeast Supply Enhancement Project; urges consideration of certain alternative projects.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Senate Resolution expressing to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission the Senate's opposition to the proposed Northeast Supply Enhancement Project due to its numerous public health and safety risks and urging consideration of alternative projects that may satisfy New York's energy growth needs without risking the health and safety of New Jersey residents and visitors, and the environment.
Whereas, The Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) Project is a proposed capacity expansion of the Transco Pipeline, an interstate natural gas transmission pipeline owned and operated by Williams Partners, L.P. (Williams), an Oklahoma-based company, which also owns and operates Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC (Transco), the company that operates natural gas transmission pipelines that transport natural gas from production areas to customers located in the northeastern United States; and
Whereas, In March 2017, Williams announced that Transco filed a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) seeking authorization for the NESE Project to be built; and
Whereas, The NESE Project includes a proposed 32,000 horsepower natural gas compressor station to be located in Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey on land previously owned by Trap Rock Industries LLC, which operates the nearby Kingston Quarry; and
Whereas, The proposed natural gas compressor station is to include two natural gas-powered turbine compressors to maintain the pressure while increasing the volume capacity of natural gas transported through the regional natural gas transmission pipeline system to better facilitate delivery to customers; and
Whereas, Much of the current natural gas transmission pipeline system in the area is approximately 50 years old and it is unclear whether this older natural gas transmission pipeline will be able to withstand the increased natural gas volume and velocity of transported gas proposed under the NESE Project; and
Whereas, The Kingston Quarry is an active blasting zone, which may increase the potential for an explosion at the natural gas compressor station and raises concern over the health and safety of local residents; and
Whereas, Williams has not made any assurances to local residents that appropriate steps will be taken to train and equip surrounding volunteer fire departments for an emergency response to a natural gas explosion; and
Whereas, This area of Franklin Township suffers from low water pressure and Williams has not proposed a plan to coordinate with the Franklin Township Public Works to increase water pressure to the natural gas compressor station to assist volunteer fire departments in the event of an emergency; and
Whereas, In addition to low water pressure, the roads surrounding this area do not have functioning fire hydrants, which limits any type of emergency response from fire fighters; and
Whereas, Local residents have not been informed about the effect on the air quality surrounding the natural gas compressor station, especially during "blowdowns," or the deliberate venting of natural gas for maintenance purposes, to relieve pressure within the pipeline, or in an emergency situation; and
Whereas, Blowdowns can last for up to two hours and produce a noise comparable to a commercial jet taking off; and
Whereas, Williams' application to FERC in their report concerning air quality and noise indicates that ongoing annual chemical airborne emissions related to the NESE Project include several chemicals that are known carcinogens in parts per million concentrations; and
Whereas, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attribute chronic illnesses to low concentration exposure of these chemicals, and several of these chemicals are lethal to humans in higher concentrations; and
Whereas, The FERC and other State and federal agencies have yet to perform a thorough health impact assessment of toxic airborne chemicals on the highly concentrated population of the area surrounding the compressor station, and have yet to perform long-term modeling studies of contamination of the immediate area where there are plans to convert the Kingston Quarry to a reservoir; and
Whereas, The NESE Project includes a plan to build 23.49 miles of new natural gas transmission pipeline under the Raritan Bay to increase the natural gas supply to customers outside of New Jersey; and
Whereas, The proposed workspace and construction will disturb 22 square miles (14,100 acres) of Raritan Bay contaminated seafloor sediment, impacting aquatic life and nearby beaches; and
Whereas, The Raritan Bay workspace intrudes on the Jetty Sector of the Raritan Bay Slag Superfund Site; and
Whereas, The FERC's Draft Environmental Impact Statement, issued on March 23, 2018, failed to adequately address these air quality and noise concerns and the impact on the Raritan Bay; and
Whereas, On April 20, 2018, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation recently denied Williams' application for a State water quality permit for the NESE Project due to "potentially significant" impact on water quality; and
Whereas, It is altogether fitting and proper, and in the public interest, for this House to express to the FERC its opposition to the proposed NESE Project and to urge the FERC to consider alternative projects that may satisfy New York's energy growth needs without risking the health and safety of New Jersey residents and visitors, and the environment; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House expresses to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) its opposition to the Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) Project and urges the FERC to consider alternative projects that may satisfy New York's energy growth needs without risking the health and safety of New Jersey residents and visitors, and the environment.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the Chairman and each commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
STATEMENT
This resolution expresses to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) its opposition to the Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) Project, a proposed capacity expansion of the Transco Pipeline, an interstate natural gas transmission pipeline, which includes a natural gas compressor station to be located in Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey on land previously owned by Trap Rock Industries LLC, which operates the nearby Kingston Quarry.
Much of the current natural gas transmission pipeline system in the area is approximately 50 years old and it is unclear whether this older natural gas transmission pipeline will be able to withstand the increased natural gas volume and velocity proposed by the NESE Project. The Kingston Quarry is an active blasting zone, which may increase the potential for an explosion at the natural gas compressor station and raises concern over the health and safety of local residents.
In March 2017, it was announced that Transco, which operates natural gas transmission pipelines in the northeast, filed an application with the FERC seeking authorization for the NESE Project to be built. This House opposes the NESE Project and urges the FERC to consider alternative projects that may satisfy New York's energy growth needs without risking the health and safety of New Jersey residents and visitors, and the environment.
