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Video: Could Natural Gas Pipeline Really Blow Up The West Village?
By
Ben Yakas
Published May 4, 2013
Modified May 4, 2013
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By
Ben Yakas
Published May 4, 2013
Modified May 4, 2013
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Almost two years ago, natural gas company Spectra filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to build a "massive" pipeline from New Jersey under the Hudson and into lower Manhattan. Even before it was approved, concerned activists argued that Spectra had too much of a checkered past to be trusted. Now, the pipeline is expected to be completed by November, and activists are spreading the word about the dangers of it with the video below, which attacks Spectra's "dismal safety record" and brings up the idea that the West Village could be blown up. So, is this something we should be worried about, or are the anti-Spectra people scaremongering?
There's no debating that high pressure pipelines have a tendency to explode: there were 244 significant incidents on U.S. pipelines in 2012 that caused 10 deaths and more than $180 million of property damage, according to the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. A Spectra pipe, in particular, was responsible for an explosion at a large Texas gas facility in 2004 that sparked fireballs and led to the evacuation of hundreds of residents within a three-mile radius of the facility. A similar pipeline built in San Bruno, California exploded in 2010, killing four people and injuring 50 more.
Also bad: Spectra's project had 17 different safety inadequacies that were part of its initial plan (the company claims it has since be revised). There is also concern that the $1.2 billion project, which will pipe 800 million barrels of natural gas a day into NYC, will help spread the odorless, colorless cancer-causing gas Radon. In the clip below, former New York City Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Al Appleton says the pipe is oversized, Spectra is "the wrong way" to fix the gas problem, and Radon is a serious problem based on "available data."
But Spectra claims these concerns are being overblown: "Once complete, our project will provide safe, reliable natural gas which will reduce our nation's dependence on foreign energy sources," Spectra said in a statement. "Spectra Energy has an outstanding safety record and our new pipeline will meet or exceed all Federal safety requirements and regulations." Con Edison has their back as well, saying the natural gas is "essential" to meeting a "growing need for natural gas, particularly with the significant increase we are seeing in oil-to-gas conversions, which will result in both lower heating costs for customers and cleaner air for everyone."
So at the end of the day, it's safe to say we feel uncomfortable about the project—at the same time, we don't think energy runs just on sunshine and lollipops, as one commenter put it. There are other alternative energy sources for NYC out there for research. And most importantly: doesn't Spectra sound a bit too much like the name of an evil organization from a Bond film?
Tagged
fracking
gas
manhattan
meatpacking district
natural gas
pipeline
spectra
west village
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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