Seneca group wants risk study for project

    SENECA LAKE—The Seneca Lake Pure Waters
Association is calling for an independent third party to do a Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) of the proposed Inergy gas storage and transfer facility in Reading.
    The SLPWA provided their comments on the project to both the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The association represents over 400 member residents within the Seneca Lake watershed.
    “We are concerned that the salt caverns do not have the geologic stability to properly contain the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) under the pressures specified without failure and potential harm to Seneca Lake,” the group said in a press release.
    Inergy, LLC is looking to build a liquid petroleum gas storage and transfer facility in Reading. The company would store the gas in empty salt caverns and use a brine pond to extract the product when needed.
    In addition to the QRA, the group wants the state to study the potential social-economic impact of the project on the already established and growing tourism and wine industry of the region. The association also expressed concern for the ability of first responders (police, fire and rescue teams and medical facilities) to cope with an emergency at the proposed facility.
    The comments were in response to a request by the NYSDEC for public input in regards to the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) submitted for this project.