GREENBURGH TOWN BOARD EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT ALGONQUIN PIPELINE WHICH WILL PASS 105 FEET FROM INDIAN POINT AND IS NEAR AN EARTHQUAKE ZONE

The Greenburgh Town Board has joined other officials in expressing concern about the proposed Algonquin pipeline. The pipeline, as proposed, passes 105 feet from Indian Point and is in close proximity to an earthquake zone. The following resolution was unanimously approved by the Town Board at our last meeting.

Paul Feiner

RESOLUTION URGING THAT HEALTH, SAFETY AND PLANNING

CONCERNS BE ADDRESSED AND MITIGATED BEFORE ANY FURTHER

CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES ON SPECTRA ENERGY’S ALGONQUIN

INCREMENTAL MARKET (AIM) NATURAL GAS PIPELINE,

COMPRESSOR AND METERING STATIONS EXPANSION PROJECT

WHEREAS, Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC (AGT), a wholly-owned subsidiary of

Spectra Energy Partners is seeking expansion of pipelines carrying fracked gas to serve customers in

Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, and for export, and which pipelines affect Rockland,

Westchester, Putnam Counties and the Greater NY Metropolitan Region; and

WHEREAS, the location of the Algonquin Incremental Market (AIM) pipeline passes 105

feet from the Indian Point Nuclear Facility, intersects with two proposed high voltage power lines and

is in close proximity to a significant seismic zone; and

WHEREAS, materials and contaminants in the gas pipeline include radium precipitate, radon

and its decay products, lead and polonium, many of which are known carcinogens and present a

serious health risk both to local residents as well as the potentially hundreds of short-term

construction-related workers; and

WHEREAS, scientific studies and the World Health Organization link exposure to air

pollution from fracked gas with neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory other health problems and

scientific studies specifically indicate that emissions from compressor stations and other shale gas

infrastructure are also associated with negative health impacts; and

WHEREAS, the current emissions that include benzene, toluene and formaldehyde will be

significantly increased by the expansion of the Southeast and Stony Point compressor stations and

other gas pipeline infrastructure and operations, including but not limited to metering and regulating

stations, pipelines, valves, fittings and Pipeline Inspection Gauge (PIG) operations; and

WHEREAS, the tri-state region, including Rockland, Westchester, and Putnam counties, is

already considered a non-attainment zone for air quality standards according to the United States

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and exceeds the limits for pollutants such as ground level

ozone and particulate matter; and

WHEREAS, there is presently no advanced notification for all planned full or partial

blowdowns at compressor stations, or immediately following any unplanned partial or full

blowdowns, in order for residents and public officials to take prompt emergency measures; and

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WHEREAS, considering the continued build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the

State of New York and its political subdivisions should not be facilitating the construction of

additional fossil fuel-related infrastructure, particularly when such infrastructure will operate for

decades into the future; and

WHEREAS, the villages, towns and cities of Rockland, Westchester, Putnam and the Greater

Metropolitan region are duty bound to protect the health and safety of all its residents and all workers

associated with the project;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that

1) before any further construction on the pipeline expansion project, an independent air

emissions baseline assessment be conducted in the areas directly impacted by the proposed

compressor and metering and regulating stations modifications; and

2) any continued construction of the pipeline be continuously monitored by an

independent expert acceptable to industry, local government officials at the state, county, town,

and village level, and to advocates and the public, with funding for this monitoring provided by

Spectra Energy; and

3) the results of the continuous monitoring of air, water, land and all other

environmental impacts be reported daily to the New York State Department of Environmental

Conservation (DEC) and the EPA, and made available to the public in a transparent manner; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Algonquin Gas Transmission, LLC (AGT) be required:

1) to install the best available mitigation technologies on all components of the existing

and proposed compressor and metering stations in the Algonquin Incremental Market (AIM)

pipeline project, including electric compressor engines, zero emission dehydrators, blowdown

prevention, vapor recovery units, and methane capturing equipment; and

2) to utilize the best practices outlined by the EPA; and

3) to install selective catalytic reduction if gas-driven engines are used instead of

preferred electric engines; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, effective immediately, that advanced notification of all

planned blowdowns (either full or partial) and notification within 30 minutes following any

unplanned partial or full blow downs of the Stony Point and Southeast compressor stations and other

gas pipeline infrastructure and operations (including but not limited to metering and regulating

stations, pipelines, valves, fittings, and Pipeline Inspection Gauge [PIG] operations) be given to all of

the towns within a 25 mile radius of the nuclear reactor in order to alert all residents, emergency first

responders, and municipalities within their purview; and

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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a comprehensive and transparent Health Impact

Assessment (HIA), as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National

Academy of Sciences, be conducted by an independent entity acceptable to industry, local

government officials, advocates and the public, and funded by Spectra Energy; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this comprehensive and transparent HIA cover

cumulative short-term and long-term impacts as well as direct and indirect impacts of all

infrastructure components and operations of the AIM project, including compressor stations

emissions and blow downs, metering and regulating stations emissions, and pipeline leakage prior to

construction, during construction, during normal operations and during blow downs and accidental

release events, with a thorough analysis of all materials and contaminants in the pipeline, including

radium precipitate, radon and its decay products, lead and polonium, and with a thorough analysis of

the proposed Pipeline Inspection Gauge (PIG) launching staging areas and the handling, storage,

cleaning, and disposal of PIGs, PIG wastewater, PIG launcher and all other associated equipment

with PIG operations; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Spectra Energy fund a comprehensive, independent

and transparent risk assessment of the potentially catastrophic explosion of a 42" diameter highpressure

pipeline in close proximity to Indian Point Nuclear Facility and a significant seismic zone, to

be completed in accordance with CFR Federal Law 50.59 and 10 CFR 100.20 regarding changes to

site, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, Spectra Energy be required to follow New York State law

by undergoing an independent Environmental Impact Statement before construction of the AIM

pipeline continues any further in order to comply with the requirements of the State Environmental

Quality Review Act (SEQRA) and thereafter minimize and mitigate any negative environmental

impacts; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that until the above safety-related mitigation measures are

fully implemented, the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh declares its opposition to the

continued construction of the pipeline; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that should the above safety-related mitigation measures

not adequately address the potential hazards, any parkland and private property seized by eminent

domain needs to be returned to the public and its private owners and that the trees cut down to make

way for the pipeline be replanted at the Spectra Energy’s expense; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Clerk of the Town of Greenburgh, NY is hereby

authorized and directed to send a copy of this resolution to the Federal Energy Regulatory

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Commission and all federal and state involved agencies with the request that the health, safety and

planning concerns stated in this resolution be addressed and mitigated in the environmental review

and all other review processes before project permissions be granted; and to send a copy of this

resolution to Hon. Barack H. Obama, President of the United States; Hon. Charles Schumer and Hon.

Kirsten Gillibrand, United States Senators; Hon. Nita M. Lowey and Elliot Engel, Members of the

United States House of Representatives; the President Pro Tem of the United States Senate; the

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives; the Majority and Minority Leaders of the

United States Senate and House of Representatives, Hon. Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State

of New York; Hon. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Hon. David Carlucci, Hon. William J. Larkin, Jr., New

York State Senators; Hon. Kenneth P. Zebrowski, Jr., Hon. Ellen C. Jaffee, and Hon. James G.

Souris, Members of the New York State Assembly; the President Pro Tem of the New York State

Senate; the Speaker of the New York State Assembly; the Majority and Minority Leaders of the New

York State Senate and Assembly and to such other persons as the Clerk, decides.