UNITEDSTATESOFAMERICA

BEFORETHE
FEDERALENERGYREGULATORYCOMMISSION
OEP/DG2E/GAS2
(MillenniumPipelineCompanyDocketNo.CP16-486-000
EasternSystemUpgradeProject)

April25,2017

HonorableKimberlyD.Bose
Secretary
FederalEnergyRegulatoryCommission
888FirstStreetNE,Room1A
Washington,DC20426

RE:FERCEABlowdownDiscrepancies-ProposedHighlandCS

DearSecretaryBose,

AsnotedinyourMarch31st2017publicnotice,ThestaffoftheFederalEnergyRegulatory
Commission(FERC)haspreparedanEnvironmentalAssessment(EA)oftheEasternSystem
UpgradeProject(Project)proposedbyMillenniumPipelineCompany,LLC(Millennium)inthe
abovereferenceddocket.Millenniumrequestsauthorizationtoconstruct,operate,and
maintainnewnaturalgasfacilitiesinNewYorkconsistingof:

(i)approximately7.8milesof30-and36-inch-diameterpipelineloopinOrangeCounty;
(ii)anew22,400horsepower(hp)compressorstationinSullivanCounty;
(iii)additional22,400hpattheexistingHancockCompressorStationinDelawareCounty;
(iv)modificationstotheexistingRamapoMeterStationinRocklandCounty;
(v)modificationstotheWagonerInterconnectinOrangeCounty;
(vi)additionalpipelineappurtenantfacilitiesattheHuguenotandWesttownMeterStationsin
OrangeCounty;and
(vii)analternateinterconnecttothe16-inch-diameterValleyLateralatmilepost7.6ofthe
Project.

Ofparticular,acuteconcernfortheTownofHighland,NewYorkandsurroundingtownshipsis
itemii-a22,400hpcompressoroffsettingpristineforestland.Further,inthepubliccomment
periodterminatinglatesummer,2016inresponsetotheAbbreviatedApplicationfora
CertificateofPublicConvenienceandNecessityaswellaresourcereportspreparedin
anticipationoftheFERCEA,itwasmadecleartotheFERCthatthepublichasnumerous,
serioushealthconcernsrelateddirectlytheproposedHighlandcompressorstation.

Inresponsetotheseconcerns-andparticularlytothenumber,frequency,contentand
purposeofblowndownevents,FERChasstatedthefollowingonp.130oftheEA,andthen
furtherconcludedwiththefollowingexcerptfromp.133:

OperationalemissionsalongtheHuguenotLoopandattheHuguenotand
WesttownMeterStationswouldbelimitedtonon-combustion-relatedfugitive
emissions(seetableB-17).Inadditiontofugitiveemissionsfromnaturalgasleaks,the
HancockandHighlandCompressorStationswouldreleaseventedemissions.These
ventedemissionswouldincludemaintenance,startup,andshutdownassociatedwith
thenewcompressorstationandmodificationstotheexistingHancockStation,aswell
ascompressorstationblowdownsformaintenanceorintheeventofanemergency.
FullblowdowneventsreleasingventedemissionsfortheHancockandHighland
CompressorStationswouldoccuramaximumoftwiceperyear.Fugitiveandvented
emissionswouldbetransmission-qualitynaturalgas.Transmission-qualitynaturalgas
transportedthroughtheProjectwouldberequiredtomeetthequalityrequirementsof
Millenniumstarifftoensurethatcontaminantsandhydrocarbonsarewithinacceptable
levelstoensuresafepipelineoperation.

Therefore,wefindthatthehealthrisksfromoperationoftheProjectwouldnotbe
significant.

WhiletheFERCmayverywellassertthatthepublicshealthrelativetoblowdowneventsisnot
itsmainconcernasitsprimarypurposeistoAssistconsumersinobtainingreliable,efficient
andsustainableenergyservicesatareasonablecostthroughappropriateregulatoryandmarket
means.1,itcannotclaimauthoritativelywithoutfactualprooforexpertisethathealthrisksfrom
theoperationoftheprojectwouldnotbesignificant.Further,acceptingoutrightanapplicants
ownmodelledscenariosdeliveringaveraged,aggregatedandhypotheticalresultsdoeslittleto
warrantthepublicsconfidenceintheFERCsnosignificantimpactfinding.

Simplystated,theFERCisnotahealthagencywhosemainpurposeorexpertiseistostudy
anddeterminewithauthoritytheextentandsignificanceofhealth-relatedimpactsspecifically
fromgascompressorstations-andfurther,shouldnotacceptanapplicantshypothetical
modellingasthebasisforitsownfindingstatements.

RegardingthetypeandfrequencyofblowdowneventsascharacterizedbytheFERC,the
publicisleftwiththesingularimpressionthatdefinitivelynomorethan2blowdowneventswill
occurperyearworthyofthepublicsconsideration.Anunsupported,qualitativedistinctionis
impliedbetween2fullblowdowneventsandallotherblowdownevents.However,the
FERCsownfootnote#17,beliesthefactthatblowdowneventscanbeplannedorunplanned
andcanoccuratanytimeunderanabnormaloperatingcondition.

1
https://www.ferc.gov/about/strat-docs/strat-plan.asp

Asstatedinfull,thisveryfootnoteunderscorestheunpredictabilityofbothtypeandquantityof
blowdowneventsandundercutstheFERCsassurancesregardingthetype,frequencyand
severityofallblowdownevents:

Ablowdowneventisaplannedorunplannedventingofpressurizednaturalgasfrom
pipelinesorfacilitiestotheatmosphere.Plannedgasventingmaybeperformedduring
operationsandmaintenanceactivitiestoensureproperoperationofsafetysystemsas
wellastheequipment,ortoreleasegaspriortoperformingworkonthefacilities.
Unscheduledgasventingoftheemergencyshutdownsystemisanunplannedevent
andcanoccuratanytimeunderanabnormaloperatingcondition.

Inreviewingtheactual,reporteddatafromtwocurrentcompressorstationsonthevery
pipelineonwhichtheapplicantseekstoplaceyetfurthercompressorstations,clearlythe
nature,range,frequencyandquantityofblowdowneventsareanythingbutpredictableand
infrequent:

InthecaseoftheMinisinkcompressorstationinOrangeCounty,NewYorkitisevidentfrom
EPAGHGFacilityReportingthatyear2015featured8blowdowneventswhereasyear2014
featured46eventsfromUnit1;and51eventsfromUnit22.InthecaseoftheHancock
compressorstationinDelawareCounty,NewYork,year2015featured4blowdownevents
directlyconnectedtothestationcompressor;2emergencyeventsand29blowdownevents
generally.Inyear2014,11blowdowneventswerereportedintotal.3

Regardingtheactualcontentofventedemissions,theFERCfurtherseekstoassuagethe
publicsconcernsbyinsinuatingthattransmission-qualitynaturalgasnecessarytoensure
safepipelineoperationsomehowequateswithanacceptablepublichealthbenchmark.Upon
reviewofthefacilityairpermitapplicationsaswellasfacilityRCRAreporting,clearlytoxic,
carcinogenicchemicalsareventedandpresentatcurrent,operatingfacilities;andbylogical
extension,willbeincreasinglypresentwithadditionalproposedfacilities.

ParticulartotheairqualitypermitapplicationsnowunderconsiderationwiththeNewYork
StateDepartmentofConservation(NYSDEC),theproposedHighlandfacilityandnewHancock
facilitiesfeature2.67and3.38metrictonsperyearofhazardousairpollutants(HAPS).Notto
mentionNOx,So2,CO,PM10,PM2.5,VOCandCO2ereleases-allsignificantairpollutantsand
greenhousegasesnotbeneficialtohumanhealthgenerally,norinconsequentialtothehealth
andwellbeingoflocalhumanpopulations.Tomakemattersworseinthecaseoftheproposed
Highlandfacility,thelocalcommunityisbattlingtheunenviabledistinctionas#61of62New
YorkStateCountiesinhealthindicatorscoring,followedonlybytheBronx,NewYorkas#62.4

2
https://ghgdata.epa.gov/ghgp/service/html/2015?id=1011561&et=undefined

3
https://ghgdata.epa.gov/ghgp/service/html/2015?id=1011561&et=undefined
4
http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/new-york/2017/overview

Regardingtheoperationoffacilities,theResourceConservationandRecoveryAct(RCRA)
reportingdatafortheMinisinkcompressorstation-downstreamoftheproposedHighland
compressorstation-showspermittingacrossseriouschemicalsandmetalsharmfultohuman
health.Theseinclude,butarenotlimitedto,Arsenic,Barium,Cadium,Chromium,Lead,
Mercury,Silver,Benzene,MethylEthylKetoneaswellascorrosiveandignitablewastes.5
ClearlytheadditionoftheproposedHighlandcompressorstation,bothupstreamandmuch
largerthanthecurrentMinisinkcompressorstation,isnotgoingtohaveLESSventednor
on-site,residualchemical,toxicloadsassociatedwithitsoperation.

IntheFERCsoverrelianceontheapplicantsownhypotheticalmodelingandavoidanceoffull
analysisofactualhistoricaldata,attemptstoassurethepublicthatnosignificanthealthrisks
areinducedbytheapplicantsproposedfacilitiesareprematureatbest,speciousatworst.
TheFERChealthriskfindingshouldhavenobearingonstateagencydeliberations,importantly
thatofNYSDEC.AprimarynamedmissionofNYSDEC-unlikethatoftheFERC-istofirst
andforemostprotectandenhancehumanhealth,notundermineitwithfurtheringknownhealth
risks.WhiletheFERCmayfindsomemeasureofcoverandcomfortintheirnosignificant
healthriskfinding,itisinsufficientasbenchmarkevidenceneededbystateagenciesintheir
deliberation,responsibilityandultimateauthoritytodeterminethescopeofactualhealth
impactsandwhetherornotaprojectispermittedtoproceed.Assuch,thepublicdemands
ourownstateagenciestolookpasttheFERCsblitheassurancesandembracefullytheirrole
andvestedauthoritytofirstandforemostprotectandenhancethehealthofNewYorkState.

Respectfully submitted,

Stephen Metts
Sullivan County, NY

OEP/DG2E/Gas2
MillenniumPipeline
Company,LLC
EasternSystemUpgrade
Project
DocketNo.CP16-486-000

5
https://oaspub.epa.gov/enviro/rcrainfoquery_3.facility_information?pgm_sys_id=NYR000228627