Pipeline project upsets Chesco officials
Politicians in Chester County are appalled by what they say is a premature approval by a federal agency of a controversial pipeline expansion project around Downingtown.
Politicians in Chester County are appalled by what they say is a premature approval by a federal agency of a controversial pipeline expansion project around Downingtown.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last week approved the $155 million Transco Sentinel project of the Williams Companies Inc., based in Tulsa, Okla. It calls for replacing 7.2 miles of aging 30-inch pipe with a larger, 42-inch-diameter pipe.
Hundreds of residents are up in arms, including those who bought new homes in developments such as Malvern Hunt in East Whiteland that are close to the pipeline right-of-way.
In some cases, the project would need an additional 45-foot easement during construction where the current pipeline runs, which would be reduced to 20 feet after the work is done. The entire project covers 19 miles in various areas of New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
"The ruling was premature," said U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach (R., Pa.) in a statement. "Residents and county and municipal officials have not been given reasonable opportunities to work out problems with Williams before this decision was issued."
Critics argue that the project will cause extensive environmental damage due to stream crossings and the loss of more than 1,500 mature trees that will have to be cut down for construction.
"We have worked very hard in this county to protect the land and high quality streams," said State Sen. Andrew E. Dinniman (D., Chester). "It's bad enough to face pressure from developers. Now, the federal government can come in and overrule. They are making Chester County pipeline central."
Last night, Dinniman hosted a meeting in his West Chester office with affected landowners and other officials to come up with strategies to make the project more environmentally responsible.
Williams/Transact is seeking both temporary easements for construction and a wider permanent easement that would prevent some of those homeowners from putting a swimming pool or a new deck in their back yards.
Lynda Farrell of East Caln Township estimates that, between the two easements, the project will end up taking almost an acre of her 4.7-acre property. And the company already holds a 75-foot easement.
"We have said to the company to use that for work space," Farrell said. "They said they don't want to work over their own pipes."
Company spokesman Chris Stockton said that three pipelines and a fiber-optic cable run through the easement, and that it would create unsafe conditions to work on top of them.
"We are going to work with the [Chester County] conservation district and the Department of Environmental Protection to ensure that stream banks are restored and make sure they are as good or better," Stockton said. "FARC says our construction methods are environmentally acceptable."
Demand is driving the project, he said. The company pipes natural gas from the Gulf of Mexico to customers in the mid-Atlantic region, including PECO Energy and Philadelphia Gas Works, he said.
The Transco pipeline is one of two pipeline projects in the county. The other is an 88-mile line from the Chesapeake Bay to Eagle, which has not yet been approved by FARC.
.
