Tompkins County Legislature - Request for Public Hearing re: Dominion New Market Pipeline

August 19, 2016

Honorable Steve Englebright
Chair, Environmental Conservation Committee
New York State Assembly
149 Main Street
East Setauket, New York 11733

Dear Assemblyman Englebright:

Enclosed please find a copy of a Resolution entitled Request to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for a Public Hearing in Tompkins County Regarding the Dominion New Market Pipeline Project and Expansion of the Borger Compressor Station that was unanimously approved by the Planning, Development, and Environmental Quality Committee on August 17, 2016. This Resolution will be presented to the Tompkins County Legislature on September 6, 2016, for its consideration.

Sincerely,

Katrina McCloy
Deputy Clerk of the Legislature

Request to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for a Public Hearing in Tompkins County Regarding the Dominion New Market Pipeline Project and Expansion of the Borger Compressor Station

WHEREAS, Dominion Transmission, Inc. (DTI), operates an existing 200-mile long natural gas pipeline in New York State that passes through Tompkins County and includes the Borger Compressor Station located at 219 Ellis Hollow Creek Road, Ithaca, NY, in the Town of Dryden, and

WHEREAS, DTI has proposed a $158 million New Market pipeline expansion project that would involve major changes to the Borger Compressor Station, including addition of gas coolers and other infrastructure alterations; as well as a significant increase in pressure and volume of natural gas moving through an older existing pipeline, and

WHEREAS, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is currently accepting public comments regarding the New Market pipeline until September 12, 2016, but has limited comments to those regarding draft air discharge permits, and

WHEREAS, the DEC has scheduled public hearings near the locations of three compressor stations (8/29/16, Morrisville State College, Morrisville, NY; 8/30/16, Corning Community College, Corning, NY; and 9/1/16, Canajoharie Central School District, Canajoharie, NY), and

WHEREAS, the Tompkins County Legislature would like to ensure that its residents have a similar opportunity to hear any public presentation by the DEC and provide comments regarding both air and water quality certification for the proposed New Market Pipeline Project and the Borger Compressor Station, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Planning, Development, and Environmental Quality Committee requests that the DEC hold a public hearing in Tompkins County and, if necessary, extend the comment period to accommodate this request,

RESOLVED, further, That the DEC expand the scope of the comments it accepts to both air and water quality,

RESOLVED, further, That copies of this resolution be sent to DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos, Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senators James Seward, Thomas O’Mara, and Michael Nozzolio, Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton, Chair of Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee, Chair of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, and submitted to the record of the proceeding.
SEQR ACTION: TYPE II-20