Lynch demands shutdown of compressor station

Ed Baker
Wicked Local
The natural gas compressor station in the Fore River Basin.

WEYMOUTH-– U.S. Representative Stephen F. Lynch is requesting an "immediate shutdown" of the Fore River Basin's compressor station following an unplanned gas release on April 6.

Lynch stated the unplanned gas release was the third "blowout" at the facility since Enbridge Inc. began utilizing it in September 2020.

“Every accident at the Weymouth Compressor Station endangers the lives and health of local residents and surrounding communities, and these so-called blowouts have become a dangerous pattern of releasing harmful gas into the nearby residential neighborhood,” he stated. “It is completely unacceptable to allow Enbridge to continue their operations.  I have reached out to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration for more details about this accident, but the only response that will protect nearby residents would be to order the Weymouth Compressor Station to shut down immediately."

Unplanned gas releases occurred at the facility last year on Sept. 11 and Sept.  30

According to state and local officials, both seepages collectively released 444,000 cubic feet of natural gas in the facility's air and forced emergency shutdowns.

More:Compressor foes seek clarity on gas leaks

Enbridge northeast field director Roy Taylor stated an “unplanned gas release on occurred at approximately 9:37 a.m, April 6. 

"The gas was released in a controlled manner through the case vent stack, which is designed to safely vent natural gas," he stated in an email to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.

Taylor stated Enbridge's subsidiary Algonquin Gas Transmission is required to notify Mass DEP within two hours of any unplanned gas releases at the compressor station that exceed 10,000 standard feet of natural gas.

"Algonquin will follow up with more information within three business days, including an estimate of the actual volume of gas released," he stated.

The compressor station has been allowed to operate by the Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration under a temporary permit granted to  Enbridge and Algonquin, Jan. 22.

Weymouth District 1 Councilor Pascale Burga said "multiple residents" have voiced concerns about the recent unplanned gas release.

“The basic sentiment is, when is enough, enough? ” she said. “Enbridge has been given a pass with unplanned gas releases without adequate explanation. The residents of the Fore River area are left exposed.”

Weymouth Councilor-at-large Rebecca Haugh said residents deserve answers about why the gas releases occurred.

“It should not become the norm,” she said. “If anything more significant than an unplanned gas release occurs, it would impact the South Shore.

Haugh said she is concerned about the apparent “dismissing of the gas leaks” by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Pipeline Hazardous Safety Administration.

"I'm grateful for Sen. Markey, Sen. Warren, and Rep Lynch for demanding answers," she said.

Mayor Bob Hedlund talks with Sen. Ed Markey before his speech about the gas compressor station in Weymouth on Friday, Sept. 18, 2020 while state representative James Murphy and Joan Meschino gather around.

Markey recently refiled a legislative measure that would block the construction of any compressor station which aids energy companies in exporting natural gas overseas.

More:Sen. Markey reintroduces legislation to block infrastructure for exporting natural gas

Haugh said she believes Mayor Robert Hedlund can’t properly respond to the gas leaks because of a  Host Community Agreement he entered into with Enbridge Inc. in October 2020.

Weymouth filed two dozen lawsuits and spent more than $1.6 million in legal fees during the past five years in an attempt to stop the project 

Hedlund said the town's authority over the compressor station has "been usurped" by the state Department of Environmental Protection and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or FERC.

“We fought the best we could against this compressor station with legal means for five years,” he said. “The vast bulk of the regulatory authority lies with FERC. There are some air quality issues the DEP has to deal with, but its authority is minimal.”

Hedlund said Enbridge is required to explain unplanned gas releases from the facility under DEP requirements.

“We are still awaiting their report,” he said.

Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station leader Alice Arena said Enbridge's statement about the recent unplanned gas release admits the company has a problem and they can't identify the issue.

“But they want to run at full capacity even though they know they have a huge problem,” she said. “They have no interest in our safety and our health.”

Arena said she observed workers from a compressor station in Cromwell, Connecticut, working at the Weymouth natural gas station on April 7.

 "They are self-investigating pretty deeply,” she said. “They can’t start this thing up without having some malfunction after they supposedly fixed the last problem.”

Arena said FRRACS filed a legal brief with FERC that notes the April 6 unplanned gas release.

“We sent a letter to the Pipeline Hazardous Material Safety Administration that says you need to revoke their permit to operate at full capacity because they can’t get this (facility) going without some malfunction,” she said. 

Enbridge spokesman Maxwell Bergeron stated safety is the company’s highest priority and the community and facility were not at risk when the unplanned gas release occurred, April 6.

 “Compressor stations are built with safety as a core requirement, and specifically designed with the ability to safely remove natural gas from portions of the station through designated stacks in a controlled manner, which enables the safe dissipation of any vented gas,” he stated in an email to the News.

Some background material for this report was provided by The Patriot Ledger