Senators cite public concerns for Crestwood

READING--State Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand called on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) last week to give full consideration to the concerns of their constituents in the Finger Lakes regarding gas storage expansion in Reading. The senators submitted a letter to petition FERC to open hearings for public comment, given local opposition and concerns underscored by recent disasters such as Porter Ranch, California.
"Originally, the project scope was open to public comment, but it appears as though FERC will not evaluate public comments prior to rendering a decision on whether to grant the extension," according to the letter. "Given the significant public opposition to this project, it is imperative that a public comment period is opened before FERC makes a final decision on the extension."
Some local opponents to the gas storage plan agree with the senators.
"New federal regulations are anticipated for gas storage and any permit extension must be after such regulations are developed and adopted and certainly not sooner," said Will Ouweleen, secretary of the Finger Lakes Wine Business Coalition (FLXWBC) and winemaker at Eagle Crest Vineyards.
At question is whether to extend a two- year-old expiring permit to expand fracked methane gas storage in abandoned salt caverns on the shores of Seneca Lake, the largest of the 11 Finger Lakes.
"Surely, at a minimum, FERC owes the public an opportunity to put our concerns on the record, prior to any consideration of a permit extension," said Ouweleen.
The FLXWBC represents over 150 local vineyards, wineries craft breweries, restaurants, farms, and entrepreneurs who are the stewards of Finger Lakes Wine Country. The group claims over 58,000 jobs and $4.8 billion in economic activity are at risk due to "ill-timed and poorly sited plans to transform wine country into gas country."
"Times have changed and sadly, a lot has happened since the permit was first issued in 2014," Ouweleen said. "A world-wide glut for gas, oil and LPG (liquefied propane gas) has caused an artificial shortage of storage, and new sacrifice zones like the Finger Lakes are being planned to ease the glut temporarily; but gas storage is not in our region's shared vision."
Gas Free Seneca, the founding organization and lead petitioner in the legal battle against Crestwood and its subsidiaries, submitted comments to FERC when Crestwood's subsidiary, Arlington Gas Storage, recently argued for a two year extension of their permit to expand natural gas storage. Gas Free Seneca represents 366 regional businesses and has facilitated the drafting of resolutions from 31 municipalities across the Finger Lakes Region, representing 1.2 million New York residents, who oppose Crestwood's plans.
The businesses, municipalities, and residents of the Finger Lakes await decisions on both the methane storage expansion and the LPG storage project in the Finger Lakes region from FERC and the Department of Environmental Conservation.