Franklin Township Council is holding a meeting on Aug. 10, 2016, on a proposed compressor station that would be built as part of a proposed $1 billion natural gas pipeline project.
FRANKLIN -- The Township Council is holding a meeting 7 p.m. Wednesday on a proposed compressor station that would be built as part of a proposed $1 billion natural gas pipeline project.
Williams Company is considering two sites in the township, one on a 40-acre tract off Route 27 near Promenade Boulevard and another 60-acre site just north of that location for its Greenfield Compressor Station, Mayor Phillip Kramer said. The land is currently owned by Trap Rock Industries, he added.
Chris Stockton, a spokesperson for Williams, said the 60-acre tract is adjacent to a Superfund site. He said the facility itself will cover less than 10 acres and the rest of the property will be a wooded area.
The Northeast Supply Enhancement Project would add 35 miles to the existing Transco pipeline system, including a 22-mile pipeline under the Raritan Bay from Old Bridge to Brooklyn, 3.5 miles of pipeline through Middlesex County and 10 miles of pipeline in Lancaster County in Pennsylvania.
The compressor station would include two, 16,000 horsepower compressors, the company said previously. Branchburg is the site of one of five compressor stations in the state serving the Transco pipeline, said Stockton.
"The community seems to be opposed to the pipeline," said Kramer. "I'm trying to keep as open a mind as possible, but Williams is going to have to do a lot to convince me."
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Kramer said pollution, noise, safety and quality of life are among residents' concerns. No action is expected to be taken at Wednesday's meeting, which is being held to allow people to speak about the project.
"Those are all legitimate concerns," said Stockton. "But what we've found is that there's a lot of misinformation out there. Not all compressor stations are the same. I think what people are envisioning are non-regulated stations. All of our stations are regulated and must meet certain noise and other regulatory standards established by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission."
Stockton said the company welcomes feedback from residents. He said the company hopes to have the compressor station in service in 2019 if it is approved.
Kramer said the ultimate decision on whether the pipeline and compressor station will be built lies with the FERC. He said a public meeting for residents to register their complaints with the commission is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 15.
Williams Company has said the pipeline is needed to meet the needs of some 1.8 million customers in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Long Island.
Opponents to the pipeline have attended previous meetings, including one on June 28 at the Hotel Somerset-Bridgewater, and industry-sponsored events to voic concerns about the health effects the project would raise, the mayor said.
"This project will increase the amount of gas being pushed through aging pipeline in high density residential neighborhoods, and the compressor station would produce methane and volatile organic compounds, creating a serious negative impact on local air quality," said Matt Smith of Food and Water Watch, a group opposing the project.
The project comes as the PennEast natural gas pipeline, which would bring natural gas from northeastern Pennsylvania to the main Transco pipeline through Hunterdon and Mercer counties, continues to face strong opposition.
Wednesday's meeting is being held at the Franklin Township Municipal Complex, located on Demott Lane.
Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.