By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Less than a week from Bowling Green City Council’s decision on allowing a pipeline to cross city property, the project got the blessings of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
FERC’s 541-page report released Wednesday found no major environmental issues with the NEXUS Gas Transmission pipeline project – meaning construction will likely begin early next year.
The proposed 36-inch natural gas pipeline would run 255 miles from fracking fields in eastern Ohio, across the state, to Michigan and end in Canada. Along its route, it will pass through Wood County, north of Bowling Green, then go under the Maumee River downriver from the city’s water intake. Once it gets to Waterville Township, a compressor station is proposed.
The environmental review concluded: “We determined that construction and operation of the projects would result in some adverse environmental impacts. Most of these environmental impacts would be temporary or short term during construction and operation, but long-term and potentially permanent environmental impacts on vegetation, land use, visual resources, and air quality and noise would also result from the projects. However, if the projects are constructed and operated in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, the mitigation measures discussed in this EIS, and our recommendations, these impacts would be reduced to acceptable levels.”
On Monday, City Council will vote on an ordinance granting NEXUS an easement to cross 29 acres of city land located in Middleton Township, about 2.5 miles east of the city’s water treatment plant.
Bowling Green officials have maintained that fighting the pipeline will not change the route and will only end up costing the city in court.
Bowling Green Public Utilities Director Brian O’Connell said earlier this week that he has no concerns about the pipeline going across city property.
“It’s a federally approved project. They have to meet federal regulations from FERC,” he said.
O’Connell said he was comfortable with the pipeline. “We’ve been getting gas here for decades from other parts of the country.”
Ultimately, the decision will be up to council on Monday to act on the easement request. But O’Connell predicted that a denial by the city would result in costs.
“If they don’t approve it, they’ll take us to court,” he said.
The city’s acreage is currently rented out for farming, and has two Toledo Edison electric easements already on it. The NEXUS pipeline would be located adjacent to those easements. The area where the pipeline is buried will not be farmed for two years. After that, it will go back into crop production.
NEXUS has agreed to pay the city $151,000 for the easement.
During the last City Council meeting, pipeline protesters filled council chambers asking the city to fight NEXUS plans to cross the city’s land. They expressed concerns about environmental effects, including the possible risks to the city’s water intake on the Maumee River.
In response to FERC’s report released on Wednesday, one of those protesters questioned the validity of the approval.
“FERC has only turned down two pipeline applications in its history,” wrote Paul Wohlfarth, who has been one of the leaders of the pipeline protest. “They are funded by oil and gas fees. The NEXUS pipeline is a for-profit export pipeline to increase Marcellus shale prices for the fracking industry.”
Wohlfarth repeated a concern he expressed at the last city council meeting that the NEXUS pipeline will not benefit Ohio residents.
“This will increase Ohioans natural gas price as increased world demand limits supply,” he wrote. NEXUS officials have stated they have customer contracts in Ohio, but have not produced those contracts. Consequently, Wohlfarth questioned granting the pipeline the right to use eminent domain. “Where is the public need to give them eminent domain over private property?”
The NEXUS project is to include five above-ground compressor stations, including one in Waterville Township, which has been opposed by citizens and public officials. The regulatory commission said the Waterville Township compressor station will not have any significant effect on air quality or noise levels.
FERC also does not believe property values will go down because of the pipeline. Nearly half of the pipeline will be laid within or adjacent to existing rights-of-way where there are other pipelines or electric transmission lines.
