Compressor station plan rejected by Weymouth Conservation Commission

WEYMOUTH – A Texas natural gas company’s plan for a compressor station in North Weymouth suffered another setback Wednesday when the conservation commission denied its application to build the facility on the banks of the Fore River.

Spectra Energy can appeal the decision and it is possible approval by federal regulators could trump the local denial.

The commission voted unanimously to deny the application after hearing four hours of testimony from Spectra representatives and residents who oppose the project.

Pointing to a fiery explosion at a Spectra-owned pipeline in rural Pennsylvania last month, commission members said there were no conditions they could impose that would adequately protect wildlife, the environment or nearby conservation land if something similar happened in Weymouth.

“It seems like at least once or twice a year there’s an explosion at one of these stations,” commission Chairman Steven DeGabriele said. “That causes me great pause in terms of deciding whether or not we could impose sufficient conditions to feel this was safe.”

Commissioners also balked when Spectra representatives said the facility could be shut down remotely in an emergency but that it could take employees up to a half-hour to arrive on the scene.

Spectra’s proposal is part of its Atlantic Bridge project, which would expand its pipelines from New Jersey into Canada. The plan includes a 7,700-horsepower compressor station on land owned by another Texas energy company, Calpine, which operates a power plant in North Weymouth. The proposed site just north of the Weymouth end of the Fore River Bridge also houses a Massachusetts Water Resources Authority pump station and a public park.

Compressor stations are placed along pipelines to keep them pressurized and the gas flowing. Residents and officials in Weymouth, Quincy and Braintree say the facility would vent toxic gases that could sicken neighbors and that it could explode, causing havoc in a densely populated residential and industrial area.

Spectra’s proposal faced its first setback earlier this month when Mayor Robert Hedlund rejected the company’s offer that would have paid the town at least $24 million over three years in return for dropping its opposition to the project.

Spectra has proposed a second project called Access Northeast that would add 10,320 horsepower to the proposed compressor station that’s further behind in the approval process.

The Atlantic Bridge project still needs to go through several state and federal reviews, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which has final jurisdiction over interstate pipelines and could override local and state denials.

Spectra can also appeal the conservation commission’s ruling to the state Department of Environmental Protection or in superior court.

Jon Bonsall, an attorney for Spectra, declined to comment after Wednesday’s meeting.

During the hearing, he said commissioners’ safety concerns were outside the scope of the commission’s review.

“In reality, we’re here in terms of wetland resources,” Bonsall said. “Imposing safety regulations on an interstate gas pipeline facility is really beyond your jurisdiction.”

The Pennsylvania explosion is under investigation by the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Spectra representatives would not comment on the potential impact of a similar explosion in a much more densely populated area, but they said their pipeline facilities meet all federal safety requirements.

The federal investigators have said initial findings show evidence of corrosion on the pipes in Pennsylvania and that there may have been a problem with the coating put over welded joints.

Pipeline opponents acknowledged federal regulators could still green-light the project in Weymouth but they applauded the commission’s vote and said it would build momentum against Spectra’s plan.

“I’m ecstatic,” said Alice Arena, leader of the Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station. “We’ll call this a victory.”

Town Councilor Becky Haugh, who represents North Weymouth, agreed.

“It’s a great victory in a small battle in the war against Spectra,” she said.

Reach Christian Schiavone at cschiavone@ledger.com or follow him on Twitter @CSchiavo_Ledger.