Controversial gas compressor to get new site

SARAH HITE

shite@timesleader.com

DALLAS TWP. – Chief Gathering LLC announced Wednesday its plans to relocate the proposed natural gas compressor station from a site 1,150 feet away from the Dallas School District campus to “a more rural area of Dallas Township.”

In a press release, the company stated its decision to explore alternate properties in the township was spurred by a visit the company hosted for local legislators and the media to a similar site in Hop Bottom.

During the tour, state Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township, and state Rep. Karen Boback, R-Harveys Lake, raised concerns about the proximity of the Dallas Township site to the four district schools – Wycallis Elementary, Dallas Elementary, Dallas Middle School and Dallas High School.

Baker and Boback released statements shortly after Chief announced its relocation plans on Wednesday.

“This is a win for the public interest. It reflects that decisions on where to locate facilities must take into account common sense safety considerations, not just cost and convenience,” she wrote. “As with many of the matters arising from activity of the gas companies, this is not a perfect solution that will satisfy everyone, but it is a much improved situation.”

Boback also was pleased with the announcement and expressed hopes that Chief’s decision will better meet community needs.

“Chief officials listened to the concerns about safety, pollution and noise that were raised by residents, parents, teachers and elected officials,” she wrote.

Chief Gathering LLC submitted an application for special zoning exceptions on Jan. 21 to build a natural gas compressor station on five acres off of Hildebrandt Road. The station was to include a metering facility, a building to house up to seven compressor engines, several tanks and a 100-foot communications tower.

Hundreds of parents and residents attended a Dallas Township Zoning Board hearing on Feb. 9 to express opposition towards the project.

While the hearing was to be continued, opponents addressed the station’s safety, air quality and noise issues during school board and municipal meetings. Many were also concerned about the facility’s potential affects on nearby students.

“We want the community to know we listened to all their concerns and we will find a new site, which will be farther away from the school, which we are hopeful will be more acceptable,” Ted Wurfel, vice president of environmental, safety and regulatory affairs for Chief, stated in the press release.

Chief will amend its application to the township and still pursue the construction of a metering station at the Hildebrandt Road site. A metering station measures natural gas going into the 50-year-old Transco pipeline, which is located underground near the district campus.

The press release stated it is possible to move the compressor station further from the Transco pipeline, but the metering facility must be close to the pipeline.

The location for the compressor station is still uncertain, but Kristi Gittens, vice president of public affairs, said she is hopeful the company can find a publicly acceptable location.

“Chief has contracts with many landowners for pipeline right of way. We had landowners express an interest to sell their property to us for the compressor site,” Gittens wrote in an e-mailed statement. “After the zoning board hearing and listening to the many concerns and the field tour last Friday and then talking to landowners with (right of way) about other options to locate the compressor station, we felt certain we could find a location for the compressor further away from the school. We don’t have an exact site yet, but hope to soon.”

A natural gas compressor station pressurizes gas from drilling wells to be sent through an interstate pipeline and to market.

Nancy Merithew, Dallas School Board secretary, spoke on behalf of Superintendent Frank Galicki in response to the announcement Wednesday.

“(Galicki) is glad that Chief has changed their mind about putting the compressor station so close to the school,” said Merithew. “He said it’s important to us to keep our kids safe. We’re extremely happy about that.”