AR164

An Assembly Resolution expressing to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission the General Assembly’s opposition about 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 General Assembly 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 Clerk of the General Assembly to the Chairman and each commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

STATEMENT

This Assembly 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.