Topics Related to the Buckingham, VA Compressor

and the Atlantic Coast Pipeline

Presented by: William Huston
for Friends of Buckingham -- 4-19-2015

William Huston
Email: WilliamAHuston@gmail.com
Phone: 607-321-7846

Compressor Stations and Pipelines have

grave consequences to our environment and
human health

In the past, it has been almost impossible to

stop these projects.

I have great hope that this situation is

changing!

If you have complete faith, anything is

possible!

Swami Satchidananda

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Compressor Station 101

Pipelines 101
FERC process
Success Stories
What Can We Do?

Fluids are non-compressible, require pumps

to move through a pipeline

Gasses are compressible, and require

compressors to move

Primary Mover
Reciprocating engine / reciprocating compressor
Gas Turbine / Centrifugal
Electric motor / Centrifugal

Glycol Dehydrators
Cooling
Slug Catcher
Pig Launch
Metering and Block Valves

Adding
capacity

11k HP =~ 50k tons per year

(conservative estimate)
30K HP = ~ 3x 50k tons per year in Greenhouse Gasses??

1 Coal car = 100 tons

Unit train = 100 cars (1 mile long)
Each unit train = 10,000 tons .
150,000 tons
is a coal train
15 miles long!

Low frequency
Sound

Health Impacts

Gas Pipeline
Syndrome

VAD = Vibro-Acoustic
Disease

Federal PIR formula

Is WRONG!

Height of black line

indicates amount
of error from
predicted PIR
vs Actual Impact
Radius
DATA from:
Sissonville WV,
Appomattox VA, San Bruno CA, Cleburne TX, Carlsbad NM

Inner Yellow Circle: Predicted PIR from point of rupture

Outer Yellow Circle: Actual Impact Radius
Orange: Impact area (Notice asymmetry)

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Docket: PF15-6
(Atlantic Coast Pipeline)
Subscribe to the Docket if you have email
This docket number will change when application is filed
Register as an Intervenor once the application is filed
If FERC issues Certificate, then intervenors must file
Motion to Rehear to maintain party status.
(You must have party status to sue FERC later)

(check for the FERC Rubber Stamp

video on Youtube!)

Regulates the transmission and sale of

natural gas for resale in interstate commerce

Approves the siting and abandonment of

interstate natural gas pipelines and storage
facilities

Performs environmental review of new

projects.

FERC is a Rogue Agency, which has been

industry-captured, and does not follow this
nations laws, putting many human lives in
jeopardy.
FERC is funded by the industry they regulate.
They violate National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) routinely
They violate the Natural Gas Act routinely
The defy orders of the Federal Courts
(Delaware Riverkeeper Network v. FERC)

Pipes for Constitution Pipeline being shipped

in, seen on the way to a FERC hearing on the
DRAFT Environmental Impact Statement

Open Season (applicant seeks shippers)

FERC prefile
Open Houses *
Formal Application
Scoping for Environmental Review *
EA or EIS?

* = public participation

EA = Fast Track Legally Dubious

FERC publishes draft EA for cooperating
agencies (not public)
FERC publishes final EA
Comment period *
FERC issues Certificate of Public Convenience
and Necessity
Other Permits obtained
Notice to Proceed

* = public participation

EIS = multi year process

FERC issues draft EIS for public comment *
Public hearings (opt) *
FERC issues final EIS
Public hearings (opt) *
FERC issues Certificate of Public Convenience
and Necessity
Other Permits obtained
Notice to Proceed

* = public participation

Note! The legal process is RIGGED

A lawsuit cannot be filed against FERC until:
1. Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity

is issued
2. People and groups with party status
(intervenors) file Motion to Rehear
3. Ferc grants or denies motion to rehear
4. FERC illegally delays this decision often

Construction proceeds while the case is

litigated. Hard to unbuild it after this.

Requires consideration of project alternatives,

including the NO ACTION alternative
Requires analysis of
Cumulative Impacts Direct and Indirect
Reasonably foreseeable impacts
Impacts of connected projects
Upstream impacts (fracking)
Downstream impacts (radon gas)

Check the NEPA Handbook

Requires all companies to obtain a Certificate

of Public Convenience and Necessity for any
natural gas project designed for interstate
commerce.

Requires FERC to deny permits to any

company which cannot do the job required.
(i.e., FERC must consider a companies safety
and compliance record)

Oops! This document is not for you!

Throw everything
at the wall and see
what sticks!

BELIEVE you can win!

(and then do your work)

If you believe the pipeline is inevitable,

then it is.

If you believe that you can stop the pipeline,

then there is a chance.

FERC denies the permit (rare)

Delay, delay, delay!

Permit is withdrawn by the applicant

Some other miracle?

I-81 pipeline, Millennium Pipeline Company

~60 miles from Binghamton to Syracuse, 2012
Proposed 30 high pressure natural gas pipeline
using existing ROW for abandoned Sun
oil/refined products pipeline
Teams mobilized fast!
We discovered the route, used GIS mapping,
contacted landowners along the route. Told
them: DONT SIGN!
Project was withdrawn before prefile.

UGIs $1B Commonwealth Pipeline

120 miles of 30-inch, high pressure pipe
Lycoming County in NE PA, to Berks County
in SE PA
Several strong opposition groups along the
route: Berks Gas Truth and Lancaster Against
Pipelines
Project withdrawn due to lack of shippers

Searsport Maine Mega Tank DCP Midstream

130' high, 200' diameter, 22-million gallon tank
of Liquid Propane (LPG)
Massive resistance from a tiny village.
It won permits from state and federal regulators,
but still needed town approval from the
Searsport Planning Board.
Local Planning board decided 5-0 that the
project is not permitted in the zone in which it
was proposed.

Searsport ME

Constitution Pipeline (Williams/Cabot)

124 mi high pressure 30 gas transmission
line, would cut through some of the largest
areas of unspoiled forest in the state.
400,000 to 700,000 trees would be destroyed
Project (illegally) approved by FERC
CAA & CWA permits still pending
Resistance has caused 18 month delay

DENY ACCESS TO YOUR LAND!

Do not sign an easement agreement or a
permission to access your land
If you have signed, then send them a Letter
Rescinding Access
Friends of Buckingham have copies of these
letters.

Petition your government at all levels:

Communicate w/Local Town Board

Resolution opposing pipeline/compressor

Noise Ordinance

Communicate with state officials in Richmond

Virginia DEQ
Clean Air Act (Title V) and Clean Water Act permits

Governor Terry McAuliffe

your state legislators
Matt Fariss, 59th House District
804 698 1059 --- 434 821 5929
del_mfarissst@house.virginia.gov
Tom Garrett, Senate District 22
804 698 7522
district22@senate.virginia.gov

Communicate with Federal officials

US Congressman -- Robert Hurt
US Senators -- Mark Warner & Tim Kaine
US Army Corps of Engineers
Clean Water Act permit

US Fish and Wildlife

restrictions on tree cutting/clearing

BOEM -- Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

Coastal Zone Management Act

FERC

Participate in Scoping -- Make Comments on the Docket

Become a FERC intervenor

Stop the Pipeline (NY)

Calvert Citizens for a

Healthy Community (MD)

Beyond Extreme
Energy (#BXE)
Friends of Nelson
Waterkeeper Alliance
(Fred Tutman)
Chesapeake Climate
Action Network

Constitutional, Tea
Party, and
Conservative groups.
Virginia Property

Rights Coalition
Virginia Land Rights
Coalition

EarthJustice
Public Citizen
American Civil Liberties Union
Appalachian Mountain Advocates
Public Justice
Sierra Club
Riverkeeper Network
NRDC

Get Media Savvy

Write Letters to the Editor
Send Press Releases to local media outlets
Call in to radio talk shows
Print informational flyers
Hand out at church gatherings, farmer's
markets, etc.
Get "No Pipeline" lawn signs, tee-shirts, or
make your own!
MAKE ART! Street Theater! Puppets!

When administrative remedies fail, we must take to the

streets! NVDA = Nonviolent Direct Action

BXE Beyond Extreme

Energy
Chesapeake Climate
Action
Ruckus Society
Energy Justice Network
Appalachia Resist!
Earth First!
Mountain Justice
FANG

Delaware Riverkeeper Networks Legal

Observer Training
100% legal!
Uses public rights of way and with landowner

permission
Monitors & Documents construction activity for
violations of safety or environmental laws
Can slow tree cutting

Other creative approaches to disrupt

construction?

May 21 May 29

Lee Stewart
Beyond Extreme Energy
www.BeyondExtremeEnergy.org
703-999-2634

Please call or write to me if you have questions.

William Huston
Email: WilliamAHuston@gmail.com
Phone: 607-321-7846

PO Box 2873
Binghamton NY 13902