Company proposes $40M gas project

READING—Finger Lakes LPG Storage, LLC is planning a massive storage project for liquid petroleum gas (LPG) with a combination of using old salt mines as an underground liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and a storage facility in the town of Reading. Finger Lakes LPG Storage is a subsidiary of Inergy Liquid Propane of Kansas City, Mo. To support the storage wells a compressor building and a brine pond will be constructed along with new rail and truck loading facilities.
The $40 million project proposes storing and distributing propane and butane from a section of a 576 acre site located off of Routes 14 and 14A. The up-to-88.2 million gallons of LPG will be stored in the existing caverns, displacing some of the brine currently filling them. The brine will then be stored in a 14-acre, lined surface pond with a capacity of 91.98 million gallons. As LPG is removed, the brine will be pumped back into the wells to maintain constant pressure.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) as lead agency for this project, has determined that this project and proposed action has the potential for significant adverse environmental impacts. Because of this concern, the DEC published a legal notice in the REVIEW&EXPRESS last Wednesday, Jan 12. The notice outlined the project in summary and also stated that comments from the public are invited to be sent to the DEC by Jan. 31.
The proposed pond will have a double layer, impervious lining and two separate containment systems. Studies of the groundwater, including the aquifer in the proposed pond area as well as surface water, streams, wetlands and any floodplains will be completed.
The facility will consist of a six rail siding capable of loading and unloading 24 rail cars within 12 hours, and a truck loading station capable of loading and unloading four trucks per hour. The loading will be able to operate on a 24-hour basis, 365 days per year. Rail and traffic conditions will be inventoried with special attention to the increased rail traffic over the Watkins Glen Gorge Bridge.
The storage facility will use existing caverns in the Syracuse salt formation created by U.S. Salt (owned by the parent company Inergy Liquid Propane) and its predecessors’ salt production operations.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has developed a draft scope for this project and are asking for public comments. Copies of the draft can be obtained at the DEC’s website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/permits/6061.html. Written public comments will be accepted until Jan. 31, 2011 and can be sent via regular mail or e-mail.