Spectra Energy held their second round of open houses in Bayonne on June 21, hoping to gather more information from residents and others before developing a tentative plan and route for a proposed natural gas pipe line through portions of Bayonne.
The company, based in Houston, Texas, held its first round of open houses last March, raising some concerns from residents about proposed routes that would take the line through residential areas.
Spectra Energy is seeking to extend a natural gas pipe line from Staten Island through Bayonne and Jersey City to service customers in Manhattan.
“But there are questions the public needs to have answered, such as the risks of explosion.” – Agnes Gillespie
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Mary Lee Hanley, director of Stakeholders Outreach, said this was part of an effort to collect concerns and suggestions from residents about the route, which could be used to modify the eventual plan.
She said the company has already used some information gathered from the March sessions to adjust the plans.
“We’re not a new company,” she said. “We have been in New Jersey for 60 years.”
The gas would initially come from Pennsylvania to the tri-state area, and would transport up to 800 million cubic feet per day of new natural gas supplies. It could be in service by the end of 2013.
She said the gas line comes into New Jersey at Lambertville, travels to the company’s main facilities in Linden, then to Staten Island. The expansion will include 15.5 mills of new 30-inch diameter pipeline extending from the vicinity of Spectra Energy’s existing meter and regulation station in Staten Island, through Bayonne and Jersey City, and into Manhattan.
Bayonne resident Kathleen Henderson criticized the project, calling it “dangerous,” and said the pipe will be too near to the surface and she fears the risk of an explosion.
Henderson said she is worried about the depth.
“These pipes aren’t going to be very deep,” she said. “They’re telling us this is the preferred route. I’m very concerned about the danger. This company has had accidents in the past. There could be a leak. A backhoe doing construction might hit it. They didn’t seem to know anything about the housing development proposed for the Texaco property, and this line is supposed to go through there.”
Tom Cotter, who ran unsuccessfully for City Council this year, said the pipe line does not have to come into Bayonne at the southwest corner or impact local residential areas along First Street at all. He suggested that the company run the line west to east on the Staten Island side of the Kill Van Kull in existing industrial areas there, and then come across to connect with the industrial areas on the west side of Bayonne instead.
Richard Barba criticized the City of Bayonne for not taking a more active role in promoting hearings to make sure the public is fully aware of what is going on.
These public sessions are a lead up to submitting an application to the FERC, which requires public input into the process, Hanley said.
Later, the company will return to present a “preferred model,” as well as alternatives.
Agnes Gillespie, who is slated to be sworn in as 1st Ward councilwoman on July 1, said she thought the company’s explanations were well done, but said there needed to be a public forum where the project is explained to the public in some kind of presentation, rather than one on one the way this was.
“They went into depth with me about the project,” she said, “and they basically answered all of my questions. But there are questions the public needs to have answered, such as the risks of explosion, and I think that the company needs to do a presentation to a whole group.
She said many residents were angry and fearful, and worried about risks to property.
“These are the same people who went through the dredging and widening of the Kill Van Kull,” she said. “They were promised a lot and didn’t get what they were promised. This time, they want assurances. I think this company is being honest and sincere, but they have to make their case to the residents.”