Readington Township Green Acres Scoping Hearing

Transcription

1 Readington Township Green Acres Scoping Hearing March 12, 2014

2 > Introductions Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC John B. Todd, P.E., Project Management, Williams Carol Peabody, Senior Land Representative, Williams Brent Simmons, Senior Environmental Scientist, Williams Michael Gartman, Chief Project Manager, Ecology and Environment, Inc. 2

3 Purpose of this Scoping Hearing > The scoping hearing is being held in connection with Transco s proposed Leidy Southeast Project, Pleasant Run Loop. > Readington Township is considering the proposed diversion of a portion of parkland identified as Block 50, Lots 13, 14, 14.01, and 41; Block 75, Lots 32 and 32.03; and Block 76, Lot > New Jersey Administrative Code (N.J.A.C.) 7: Major disposals or diversions of parkland; scoping hearing (a) Prior to submitting a pre-application to Green Acres for a major disposal or diversion of parkland under N.J.A.C. 7: , a local government unit or nonprofit intending to seek approval of a major disposal or diversion of parkland shall conduct a scoping hearing to solicit preliminary public comment on the proposed disposal or diversion. 3

4 Purpose of this Scoping Hearing > At the scoping hearing, the local government unit or nonprofit shall: Explain that the purpose of the hearing is to accept public comment on a major disposal or diversion of parkland that is under consideration; Describe the proposed disposal or diversion, including the lands affected, the total acreage of parkland to be affected and the project for which the disposal or diversion is sought; Set forth the compelling public need that the project would fulfill, the significant public benefit it would yield, or the exceptional recreational and/or conservation benefit it would provide; Discuss past and ongoing efforts to identify alternatives to the proposed disposal or diversion considered by the local government unit or nonprofit and the reason(s) for rejecting any alternatives, and, to the extent known, the compensation that the local government unit or nonprofit would provide for the proposed disposal or diversion; and Accept comment on any alternative sites suggested by the public and on alternative methods of achieving its project objectives without the diversion or disposal of parkland. N.J.A.C. 7: (d). 4

5 Who is Williams Who is Transco > Williams owns & operates the Transco interstate natural gas pipeline. > Transco s pipeline system consists of 10,200 miles of pipeline and 52 compressor stations and storage facilities. > System design capacity of 9.8 bcf/day. Enough energy to heat approximately 42 million homes every day. > Transports 8% of the natural gas consumed in the U.S. 5

6 Leidy Southeast: Project Overview > Project Components Four pipeline loops Dorrance Loop: 5.27 miles in Luzerne County (Dorrance and Slocum Townships), Pennsylvania Franklin Loop: miles in Monroe and Luzerne Counties (Tobyhanna and Buck Townships), Pennsylvania Pleasant Run: 6.92 miles in Somerset and Hunterdon Counties (Branchburg and Readington Townships), New Jersey Skillman Loop: 6.31 miles in Mercer and Somerset Counties (Princeton and Montgomery Townships), New Jersey > What is a pipeline loop? A segment of pipeline installed adjacent to an existing pipeline and connected to it at both ends A loop allows more gas to be moved through the system 6

7 Leidy Southeast: Project Overview 7

8 The FERC Regulatory Process > FERC is the governing body that determines whether the project is needed and in the public s best interest > Transco seeks approval for pipeline expansion projects by filing an application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity > FERC requires concurrent filing of federal and state permit applications > Transco filed the FERC Application for the Leidy Southeast project, which includes the proposed Pleasant Run and Skillman Loops, in October 2013 and is now working under docket number CP > Environmental document is anticipated to be issued by Spring/Summer 2014 > FERC Order requested Fall 2014 > Should the Project be approved, the construction start date is anticipated to be early 2015 with the anticipated in-service date being November 1,

9 Readington Township: What lands are proposed to be diverted? > The proposed Pleasant Run Loop will affect seven (7) parcels within the Green Acres inventory for Readington Township: Properties owned by Readington Township Block 50, Lots 13, 14.01, and 41 Block 75, Lot Block 76, Lot 3.01 Privately owned properties Block 50, Lot 14 (owned by Judith Garfield) Block 75, Lot 32 (owned by Marcia Zweerink) Transco proposes to acquire a permanent easements totaling acres Transco proposes to acquire temporary workspace totaling acres 9

10 Readington Township: Green Acres Impacts Property Location Property Owner Permanent Easement within Green Acres Restricted Areas (Acres) Temporary Workspace within Green Acres Restricted Areas (Acres) Block 76, Lot 3.01 Readington Township Block 75, Lot 32 Zweerink Block 75, Lot Readington Township Block 50, Lot 14 Garfield Block 50, Lot Readington Township Block 50, Lot 13 Readington Township Block 50, Lot 41 Readington Township Total

11 Leidy Southeast Project Public Need > The public need is determined by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission when a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity is issued > Transport natural gas to meet increasing demand for energy in Northeastern U.S. > Provide an additional 525,000 dt/day of firm transportation capacity to delivery points that would be accessible by customers in the mid- Atlantic and Southeast states > Provide access to new sources of domestic natural gas supply and support the overall reliability of the energy infrastructure > The Project s incremental volumes of gas are fully contracted > Cleaner source of fuel than coal or petroleum 11

12 Leidy Southeast Project Alternatives: Block 76, Lot

13 Leidy Southeast Project Alternatives: Block 76, Lot 3.01 Length (mi) Acres of New Permanent ROW* Pleasant Run Loop - Readington Township New Permanent Green Acres Impacts (Acres) Other (non-green Acres) Restrictions on Alternatives Parcels Acres of NJDEP Wetlands crossed NHD Stream Crossings Route Block 76, Lot 3.01 (Readington) Proposed Alternate ¹ 0 1 Alternate ¹ Preserved Farm (1) (#) = number of parcels with specific restriction ¹ = Includes a parcel(s) that is assumed Green Acres based on landowner (Township or County owned) * For the proposed loop opposite the alternative, New ROW was calculated by querying workspaces "Perm ROW outside Existing ROW" for that section * For the alternatives a 50 ft row was assumed for New ROW 13

14 Leidy Southeast Project Alternatives: Block 75, Lots 32 and

15 Leidy Southeast Project Alternatives: Block 75, Lots 32 and Route Pleasant Run Loop - Readington Township Other (non-green Acres) Restrictions on Alternatives Acres of NJDEP Wetlands Acres of New New Permanent Length (mi) Permanent ROW* Green Acres Impacts (Acres) Parcels crossed Block 75, Lot 32 (Zweerink) & Block 75, Lot (Readington) NHD Stream Crossings Proposed Alternate Alternate (#) = number of parcels with specific restriction ¹ = Includes a parcel(s) that is assumed Green Acres based on landowner (Township or County owned) * For the proposed loop opposite the alternative, New ROW was calculated by querying workspaces "Perm ROW outside Existing ROW" for that section * For the alternatives a 50 ft row was assumed for New ROW 15

16 Leidy Southeast Project Alternatives: Block 50, Lots 41, 13, and 14 16

17 Leidy Southeast Project Alternatives: Block 50, Lots 41, 13, and 14 Pleasant Run Loop - Readington Township Other (non-green New Permanent Acres) Restrictions Green Acres on Alternatives Impacts (Acres) Parcels Acres of New Permanent ROW* Acres of NJDEP Wetlands crossed Route Length (mi) NHD Stream Crossings Block 50, Lot 14 (Garfield); Block 50, Lot (Readington); Block 50, Lot 13 (Readington); & Block 50, Lot 41 (Readington) Proposed Drainage Alternate Easement (3) Alternate ¹ (#) = number of parcels with specific restriction ¹ = Includes a parcel(s) that is assumed Green Acres based on landowner (Township or County owned) * For the proposed loop opposite the alternative, New ROW was calculated by querying workspaces "Perm ROW outside Existing ROW" for that section * For the alternatives a 50 ft row was assumed for New ROW 17

18 Leidy Southeast Project Alternatives - Readington Township > Much of the additional right-of-way ( ROW ) and most temporary workspace needed for construction were acquired prior to the various parcels being encumbered with Green Acres restrictions > Expansion of existing ROWs preferred by the FERC and the NJDEP to the creation of a new ROW corridor because: New ROW would result in far greater land use impacts Expansion is safer, easier to monitor and more efficient from an operational perspective > There is no feasible or reasonable alternative to the proposed route 18

19 Other Alternatives > No-Action Alternative Transco would not construct the project Energy Conservation Energy Alternatives (coal, oil) Nuclear Renewable Energy Sources (solar, hydroelectric, wind, geothermal, fuel cells, wood) > System Alternatives Make use of other existing, modified, or proposed pipeline systems > Construction Alternatives Horizontal Directional Drilling Reduced temporary construction ROW Reduced permanent operational ROW > Route Alternatives 19

20 Compensation > If Readington Township decides to proceed with the diversion, it will negotiate with Transco for the rights needed to build the proposed Project and will be compensated in accordance with Green Acres regulations. 20

21 Scoping Period You may submit written comments by March 26, 2014 to Vita Mekovetz, Municipal Clerk, Township of Readington, 509 Route 523, Whitehouse Station, New Jersey A copy of any written comments must also be provided by you to Kevin Appelget, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Green Acres Program, Bureau of Legal Services and Stewardship, Mail Code , P.O. Box 420, Trenton, New Jersey Information on the Project is available at (Docket # CP13-551) 21