CONCORD — New Hampshire’s leading Republican lawmaker, Senate President Chuck Morse of Salem, is taking a stand against the Kinder Morgan natural gas pipeline, citing what he called the company’s dismissive approach to New Hampshire’s regulatory authority.
The proposed Northeast Energy Direct (NED) project calls for a new 30-inch transmission pipeline that would carry natural gas from the fracking fields of Pennsylvania to New England, with an 80-mile route across Southern New Hampshire.
“Given that there are pipeline projects being proposed in New England that provide similar benefits to New Hampshire with far less impacts, I believe that the NED pipeline, as currently proposed, is not the best project to address our current energy market problems,” he wrote in a recent letter to the chairman of the Public Utilities Commission and the state commissioner of Environmental Services.
The letter is copied to the chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the NED project manager at Kinder Morgan.
“New Hampshire is currently considering other similar energy projects, and we have seen positive examples of these projects undertaking considerable outreach, project redesign and mitigation efforts,” wrote Morse. “Unfortunately, the NED project has not demonstrated a willingness to work with affected communities, landowners or the state to address issues that have been raised.”
In an interview, Morse said his decision to publicly oppose the NED proposal was prompted by a March 2 article in the Union Leader on Kinder Morgan’s position regarding state authority over the project.
“The siting and approval of interstate high-pressure gas pipelines proposed by private companies is governed by FERC. FERC alone approves the location and construction of interstate pipelines, related facilities and storage fields involving moving natural gas across state boundaries,” wrote Manchester attorney Scott O’Connell on behalf of Kinder Morgan and the Northeast Energy Direct pipeline project.
“In the event that any state or municipal law or ordinance conflicts with a FERC requirement, FERC’s requirement will prevail,” according to O’Connell. “We respectfully urge with respect to interstate pipelines that (New Hampshire) participate in the FERC process and avoid incorporating further requirements that are duplicative or, if not, likely pre-empted by federal law.”
That didn’t sit well with Morse, who said, “If the Kinder Morgan attorney is basically saying that we don’t have a say here in New Hampshire on this project, I disagree with that. There are permits on water pollution, air emissions, wetlands and such, that they certainly are going to have to get through the state.”
Kinder Morgan spokesman Richard Wheatley said the company has had several informational meetings with Morse, but did not speak directly to his concern about federal pre-emption of the state’s authority in siting the project.
“We remain open to working with Senator Morse, as well as other stakeholders in New Hampshire and other areas, consistent with our stated goal to help bring more natural gas capacity to New England to meet the increasing demand seen for the clean fuel by natural gas and electric distribution companies,” wrote Wheatley in an emailed statement.
There are three other proposals for pipeline construction or expansion under consideration in New England — Spectra Energy’s Atlantic Bridge and Access Northeast (in partnership with Eversource), and Portland Natural Gas Transmission System’s Continent to Coast project. Morse said any of those three are preferable to NED in helping the region cope with a natural gas shortage in the coldest days of the year.
“As state agencies with authority over this issue and oversight of relevant state permitting for this project, I ask you to undertake full consideration of these alternatives,” Morse wrote.
dsolomon@unionleader.com - See more at: http://www.unionleader.com/Senate-president-expresses-opposition-to-pipeline-project#sthash.ChIOeutE.dpuf
CONCORD
— New Hampshire’s leading Republican lawmaker, Senate President Chuck
Morse of Salem, is taking a stand against the Kinder Morgan natural gas
pipeline, citing what he called the company’s dismissive approach to New
Hampshire’s regulatory authority.
The proposed Northeast Energy Direct (NED) project calls for a new 30-inch transmission pipeline that would carry natural gas from the fracking fields of Pennsylvania to New England, with an 80-mile route across Southern New Hampshire.
“Given that there are pipeline projects being proposed in New England that provide similar benefits to New Hampshire with far less impacts, I believe that the NED pipeline, as currently proposed, is not the best project to address our current energy market problems,” he wrote in a recent letter to the chairman of the Public Utilities Commission and the state commissioner of Environmental Services.
The letter is copied to the chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the NED project manager at Kinder Morgan.
“New Hampshire is currently considering other similar energy projects, and we have seen positive examples of these projects undertaking considerable outreach, project redesign and mitigation efforts,” wrote Morse. “Unfortunately, the NED project has not demonstrated a willingness to work with affected communities, landowners or the state to address issues that have been raised.”
In an interview, Morse said his decision to publicly oppose the NED proposal was prompted by a March 2 article in the Union Leader on Kinder Morgan’s position regarding state authority over the project.
“The siting and approval of interstate high-pressure gas pipelines proposed by private companies is governed by FERC. FERC alone approves the location and construction of interstate pipelines, related facilities and storage fields involving moving natural gas across state boundaries,” wrote Manchester attorney Scott O’Connell on behalf of Kinder Morgan and the Northeast Energy Direct pipeline project.
“In the event that any state or municipal law or ordinance conflicts with a FERC requirement, FERC’s requirement will prevail,” according to O’Connell. “We respectfully urge with respect to interstate pipelines that (New Hampshire) participate in the FERC process and avoid incorporating further requirements that are duplicative or, if not, likely pre-empted by federal law.”
That didn’t sit well with Morse, who said, “If the Kinder Morgan attorney is basically saying that we don’t have a say here in New Hampshire on this project, I disagree with that. There are permits on water pollution, air emissions, wetlands and such, that they certainly are going to have to get through the state.”
Kinder Morgan spokesman Richard Wheatley said the company has had several informational meetings with Morse, but did not speak directly to his concern about federal pre-emption of the state’s authority in siting the project.
“We remain open to working with Senator Morse, as well as other stakeholders in New Hampshire and other areas, consistent with our stated goal to help bring more natural gas capacity to New England to meet the increasing demand seen for the clean fuel by natural gas and electric distribution companies,” wrote Wheatley in an emailed statement.
There are three other proposals for pipeline construction or expansion under consideration in New England — Spectra Energy’s Atlantic Bridge and Access Northeast (in partnership with Eversource), and Portland Natural Gas Transmission System’s Continent to Coast project. Morse said any of those three are preferable to NED in helping the region cope with a natural gas shortage in the coldest days of the year.
“As state agencies with authority over this issue and oversight of relevant state permitting for this project, I ask you to undertake full consideration of these alternatives,” Morse wrote.
dsolomon@unionleader.com - See more at: http://www.unionleader.com/Senate-president-expresses-opposition-to-pipeline-project#sthash.ChIOeutE.dpuf
The proposed Northeast Energy Direct (NED) project calls for a new 30-inch transmission pipeline that would carry natural gas from the fracking fields of Pennsylvania to New England, with an 80-mile route across Southern New Hampshire.
“Given that there are pipeline projects being proposed in New England that provide similar benefits to New Hampshire with far less impacts, I believe that the NED pipeline, as currently proposed, is not the best project to address our current energy market problems,” he wrote in a recent letter to the chairman of the Public Utilities Commission and the state commissioner of Environmental Services.
The letter is copied to the chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the NED project manager at Kinder Morgan.
“New Hampshire is currently considering other similar energy projects, and we have seen positive examples of these projects undertaking considerable outreach, project redesign and mitigation efforts,” wrote Morse. “Unfortunately, the NED project has not demonstrated a willingness to work with affected communities, landowners or the state to address issues that have been raised.”
In an interview, Morse said his decision to publicly oppose the NED proposal was prompted by a March 2 article in the Union Leader on Kinder Morgan’s position regarding state authority over the project.
“The siting and approval of interstate high-pressure gas pipelines proposed by private companies is governed by FERC. FERC alone approves the location and construction of interstate pipelines, related facilities and storage fields involving moving natural gas across state boundaries,” wrote Manchester attorney Scott O’Connell on behalf of Kinder Morgan and the Northeast Energy Direct pipeline project.
“In the event that any state or municipal law or ordinance conflicts with a FERC requirement, FERC’s requirement will prevail,” according to O’Connell. “We respectfully urge with respect to interstate pipelines that (New Hampshire) participate in the FERC process and avoid incorporating further requirements that are duplicative or, if not, likely pre-empted by federal law.”
That didn’t sit well with Morse, who said, “If the Kinder Morgan attorney is basically saying that we don’t have a say here in New Hampshire on this project, I disagree with that. There are permits on water pollution, air emissions, wetlands and such, that they certainly are going to have to get through the state.”
Kinder Morgan spokesman Richard Wheatley said the company has had several informational meetings with Morse, but did not speak directly to his concern about federal pre-emption of the state’s authority in siting the project.
“We remain open to working with Senator Morse, as well as other stakeholders in New Hampshire and other areas, consistent with our stated goal to help bring more natural gas capacity to New England to meet the increasing demand seen for the clean fuel by natural gas and electric distribution companies,” wrote Wheatley in an emailed statement.
There are three other proposals for pipeline construction or expansion under consideration in New England — Spectra Energy’s Atlantic Bridge and Access Northeast (in partnership with Eversource), and Portland Natural Gas Transmission System’s Continent to Coast project. Morse said any of those three are preferable to NED in helping the region cope with a natural gas shortage in the coldest days of the year.
“As state agencies with authority over this issue and oversight of relevant state permitting for this project, I ask you to undertake full consideration of these alternatives,” Morse wrote.
dsolomon@unionleader.com - See more at: http://www.unionleader.com/Senate-president-expresses-opposition-to-pipeline-project#sthash.ChIOeutE.dpuf
4 comments:
Thank you Mr. Morse
Glad that you are against the pipeline, Mr. Morse. Now please convince your colleagues that NED is not in the best interests of their constituents, and that they do NOT want it here.
Heard where Bernie Sanders proposed a nation wide ban on fracking yesterday. NY already has a ban in place.
All the more reason to have the NED project banned. If the pipeline goes through and they ban fracking, which is getting closer and closer to happening, these Greedy Enron types will definitely find something else to go through the pipes ........... and who knows what that might be!!!! They are pushing hard to get these lines through and make their big bucks at our expense before they are shut down.
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