Compressor station Expansion riles up the picket line
If two separate incidents on the East Coast are any indication, the public perception of gas compressor stations in the United States remains unfavorable.
On Jan. 31, more than 30 people protested outside of the construction site of a gas compressor station in Milford, Pennsylvania. The protest came a day after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the construction of the station’s expansion.
The protesters continued picketing the site from Feb. 2 to Feb. 6, according to the Facebook page, Stop the Milford Compressor Station Expansion. These tensions stem from a public hearing in August, when about 175 residents attended a public hearing about the proposed compressor station expansion in Milford.
On Feb. 3, town officials in Franklin, New York listened to concerns about the possibility of a natural gas compressor station being built in the township. Concerns included noise violations, explosions and landslides.
While not approved, there is speculation that the Tennessee Gas Co. has its sights on Franklin for a compressor station as part of the Constitution Pipeline. The pipeline, which has compressor sites slated for Pennsylvania and Schoharie County, New York, has received conditional approvals from the FERC.