Narural gas pipeline expansion moves forward despite opposition
DANBURY -- Federal approval this week of a $972 million natural gas pipeline expansion through Danbury clears the way for construction to begin later this year.
Environmentalists and homeowners who consider the expansion unnecessary and unsafe were already resigned to the likelihood the project by Houston-based Spectra Energy would be approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
But they are not giving up.
"We are getting 25 to 35 people coming to our forums trying to spread the word," said John Calandrelli, coordinator of the Sierra Club's Connecticut Chapter. "It is an uphill battle."
Opponents have 30 days to file an appeal, although it was not clear Wednesday how many would. More than 50 opponents are listed on the document FERC issued on Tuesday approving the project, including New York City and the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
FERC said it weighed comments from both sides in reaching its decision.
"Hundreds of comments support the proposed project on the basis that, among other things, the project will bring jobs to the area," the FERC approval document reads. "(H)undreds of other comments and protests raise concerns over the ... potential environmental impact and the potential economic impact on property values."
Spectra said the expansion of its New York-to-Boston pipeline known as the Algonquin is needed to meet demand in New England for cheaper energy and to replace outdated equipment, some of which is 50 years old.
The company plans to replace 20 miles of 26-inch pipe with 42-inch pipe in New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
In Danbury, the company plans to enlarge a 4.5-mile section of pipeline along the Interstate 84 corridor.
From Danbury, the pipeline cuts a northeast diagonal through Oxford on its way to Waterbury.
Jim Mellett, a retired NYU geology professor from New Milford, said high-pressure natural gas pipelines are prone to leaks.
"It will run right across the street from Trader Joe's near I-84," Millet said of the expanded pipeline. "There have been explosions that produce a fireball a quarter-mile wide."
The Algonquin pipeline expansion is being fueled by extraction of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale, a large geological formation that stretches from New York to Ohio and down to West Virginia. Much of the gas is freed from rock using a controversial technology called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Dollar General plans on track for approval
NEW BRITAIN — A new Dollar General store to be built on the corner of Arch Street and Shuttle Meadow Avenue got the green light Tuesday.
Property owner Frank Facciolo said the Common Council will vote March 11 on finalizing the property’s zoning change to B-3 (Business).
“All the aldermen in City Hall Tuesday night were in favor of the store,” Facciolo said.
Construction is expected to begin about three months after developers go over their plans with city zoning, engineering and planning officials.
Gary Eucalitto and Michael Perkins of the Trumbull-based Sound Development Group gave an audience of more than 40 city residents an overview of the store. Most in attendance seemed to favor its construction.
For the store to be built, the lot needs to be rezoned for business, with approval from the Common Council.
Perkins and Eucalitto stressed that Dollar General will be both a convenience store and a major retailer. The investment is $2.5 million and the store’s commitment is for 20 years. The city is expected to realize $50,000 a year in taxes.
Carlo Carlozzi, chairman of the Planning, Zoning and Housing committee, said the panel voted for the zoning change Monday night.
“A majority of residents and store owners, who spoke about the zoning change on Tuesday, were in favor of the store,” Carlozzi said. “Historically, I don’t favor B-3 zones. There is no requirement for front, back, side or rear yards to be set back from the street,” he explained.
“The city’s obligation is to protect neighborhoods while getting business development in,” Carlozzi said. “I’m sensitive to the need to grow our grand list. Besides, this is not just another dollar store.”CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Spectra Energy outlines four state pipeline plans at open house in Norwich
Norwich - A proposed expansion of natural gas pipelines that supply New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut would increase gas supplies to Norwich Public Utilities by 3,000 dekatherms, double the amount added in 2011 that has enabled the company to extend service to 1,700 new customers.
"Our expansion efforts have gone well. Obviously the demand is there, so this is very exciting," Chris Riley, communications manager for NPU, said Wednesday during an open house for the pipeline project. The new supply would come as part of the Atlantic Bridge Project proposed for the Algonquin Gas Transmission system by its owner, Texas-based Spectra Energy. Riley said the previous expansion supplied NPU with an additional 1,500 dekatherms. A dekatherm is 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas, or slightly more than 1 million BTUs of energy.
Spectra Energy has proposed laying more than 35 miles of new pipeline in the four states, building two new compressor stations each in Massachusetts and Connecticut and modifying existing metering stations in Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts. Overall, the project would add 222,000 dekatherms per day of natural gas to the region from supplies in the Gulf of Mexico, Colorado and Marcellus Shale deposits. The pipeline project also would connect to existing pipelines in the Canadian Maritimes to increase gas supplies there. In Connecticut, new pipeline sections would be built off the main transmission line in Fairfield County, in Cromwell and in Chaplin, and an existing metering station in Norwich would be expanded. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Widening highways will solve capacity problems
Governor Dannel Malloy is planning to widen highways in Connecticut as part of his 30-year transportation proposal. While he called rail “extremely important” to his plan, Malloy said on WNPR’s Where We Live that rail solutions won’t solve the state’s highway troubles. He said he thinks those troubles are slowing down the state economy as well as highway traffic.
Malloy said I-84 and I-95 are where the problem needs to be fixed most urgently. “Both of those roadways most particularly [are] where we have the largest capacity issues that are restraining our growth as a state, particularly with respect to jobs,” he said. “We know that congestion on our highways is adding 40 hours of wait time to every working man and woman,” Malloy said. “But if you talk about in the corridor, say, between New Haven or Bridgeport and Greenwich, you’re probably talking about 80 or 120 hours of congestion time. That’s three work weeks, if I’m right, at 120, and that’s an estimate. We know it’s 40 across the board.” Malloy said that rail improvements are a priority, but that the state has lagged on improvements to highways. “Rail dollars will be spent largely first,” he said. “But let’s be honest: we have a capacity problem on our highways that we have largely ignored and refused to address.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE