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. Compressor Station 101 2. Pipelines 101 3. FERC process 4. Success Stories 5. 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 nation’s 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: DON’T SIGN!

Project was withdrawn before prefile.

UGI’s $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 Network’s “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