Applicant: Iroquois Gas Transmission System LPOne Corporation Dr Suite 600Shelton, CT 06484
Iroquois Gas Transmission System LP
One Corporation Dr Suite 600
Shelton, CT 06484
Iroquois Enhancement by Compression (ExC) Project
3-1326-00211/00001 (Dover Compressor Station)
4-1922-00049/00004 (Athens Compressor Station)
Article 19, Air State Facility
Dover Compressor Station, 186 Dover Furnace Road (Co. Route 46), Dover Plains, NY 12522
Athens Compressor Station, 915 Schoharie Turnpike (Co. Route 28), Athens, NY 12015
The Iroquois Enhancement by Compression Project (ExC Project) includes the addition of 12,000 horsepower (hp) of new compression and associated facilities at the existing Iroquois Dover Compressor Station located at 186 Dover Furnace Road in Dover Plains and the addition of 12,000 hp of new compression and associated facilities at the existing Iroquois Athens Compressor Station located at 915 Schoharie Turnpike in Athens. The ExC Project also includes upgrades at the Milford and Brookfield Stations in Connecticut. The ExC Project is designed to provide a total of 125,000 Dekatherms per day (Dth/d) of incremental firm natural gas transportation service to two existing customers of Iroquois, Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. (Con Ed) and KeySpan Gas East Corporation d/b/a National Grid (National Grid).
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) has prepared draft permits and has made a tentative determination, subject to public comment or other information, to approve Air State Facility (ASF) permit modifications for both New York facilities included in the ExC Project. With respect to air pollution regulation, the activities of concern at the Dover and Athens Compressor Stations are emissions of criteria contaminants which are produced from the operation of the stationary combustion turbines used to compress the natural gas in the pipeline operated by Iroquois. Control measures include low NOx combustion technology and oxidation catalysts.
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 7(2) of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act), Chapter 106 of the Laws of 2019, NYS DEC has requested and received information regarding the ExC Project's consistency with the Climate Act. The ExC Project includes the installation of GHG mitigation measures, including Vent Recovery Systems (VRS) at each of the four Project compressor stations in NYS and CT, and fuel use restrictions limiting the maximum operation of each new turbine. Iroquois also proposed the installation of VRS, if feasible, at each of three other (i.e., non-Project) compressor stations located in NYS (Boonville, Croghan, and Wright) as additional GHG mitigation. These have been incorporated into the draft ASF permits and would be included, along with any other GHG mitigation measures as appropriate, as part of any ASF permits ultimately issued by NYS DEC, provided that the other elements of Section 7(2) can be met.
Pursuant to Section 7(3) of the Climate Act, NYS DEC and other agencies must ensure that its permitting and other administrative decisions do not disproportionately burden Disadvantaged Communities. NYS DEC has requested and received information from Iroquois regarding the ExC Project's potential impact on Disadvantaged Communities, as identified pursuant to the Climate Act. The Athens Compressor Station is in and has the potential to impact a draft Disadvantaged Community. Additionally, the Dover Compressor Station is immediately adjacent to and has the potential to impact a draft Disadvantaged Community. Therefore, at NYS DEC's request, Iroquois provided a Disadvantaged Communities (DAC) Evaluation for the ExC Project. While Iroquois asserts that the ExC Project would not disproportionately burden any Disadvantaged Communities, NYS DEC has not yet made a final determination. Prior to issuing any permits for the Facility, NYS DEC would need to ensure compliance with the requirements of Climate Act Section 7(3).
While NYS DEC is making draft Air State Facility permits available for public review and comment, NYS DEC has not made any final determination to issue any final permits for the Facility. Prior to issuing any final permits for the Facility, NYS DEC would need to ensure that it can meet the requirements of both Section 7(2) and Section 7(3) of the Climate Act. NYS DEC has yet to make either determination. NYS DEC may seek additional information from the Applicant to facilitate making these legally required determinations.
Filed application documents and NYS DEC draft ASF permits are available at: https://www.iroquois.com/operations/projects/exc-project/.
Applications are also available for inspection at the following locations during normal business hours:
Dover Plains Library
1797 Route 22
Wingdale, NY 12594
Phone: (845) 832-6605
D.R. Evarts Library
80 Second Street
Athens, NY 12015
Phone: (518) 945-1417
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is the lead agency for the environmental review of interstate natural gas facilities under the federal Natural Gas Act. FERC staff prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS), dated November 12, 2021, for the ExC Project, Docket No. CP20-48-000, pursuant to NEPA. The FERC Final EIS can be viewed and downloaded at: https://elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/docket_search.asp by entering the Docket No. and the date of the Final EIS in the search boxes.
The federal environmental review process conducted by FERC pursuant to NEPA takes the place of an environmental review conducted under the State Environmental Quality Review Act. NYS DEC evaluates the FERC NEPA documents and the permit applications submitted by applicants to NYS DEC to ultimately make a determination regarding issuance of NYS DEC authorizations.
This project is not subject to SEQR (federally preempted) and therefore is treated as if it was a Type II action.
SEQR Lead Agency: None Designated
The proposed activity is not subject to review in accordance with SHPA. The activity is being reviewed in accordance with federal historic preservation laws (Section 106 of NHPA) and the project area of potential impact is substantially the same.
This project is not located in a Coastal Management area and is not subject to the Waterfront Revitalization and Coastal Resources Act.
It has been determined that the proposed action is not subject to CP-29.
The above referenced applications were filed and reviewed pursuant to Environmental Conservation Law (ECL) Article 3, Title 3 (General Functions, Powers, Duties and Jurisdiction), and Article 70 (Uniform Procedures Act or UPA); and pursuant to Title 6 of Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York (6 NYCRR) Part 621- Uniform Procedures. The relevant regulations are found at: Part 201 (Air State Facility).
A legislative hearing pursuant to 6 NYCRR Part 621 (Uniform Procedures) to receive unsworn comments from the public on the ASF applications will be held on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The hearing will be conducted electronically through the Webex platform.
All persons, organizations, corporations, or government agencies who may be affected by the project are invited to attend the hearing and comment on the ASF applications. Instructions on how to attend the hearing are provided at: https://www.dec.ny.gov or by calling (518) 402-9003.
Interpreter services shall be made available to deaf persons, and translator services shall be made available to persons with limited English proficiency, at no charge for either service, upon written request. Requests must be received by January 23, 2023 and directed to the NYS DEC - Office of Communication Services, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4500, Phone: (518) 402-8044, E-mail: [email protected]
Written statements and comments on the application are encouraged, and any statements and comments may be filed prior to the hearing, but no later than the deadline for written comments, which is February 7, 2023. Individuals and parties may file written comments to the Contact Person or may submit comments electronically at [email protected]
Following the hearing, NYS DEC will determine whether substantive or significant issues have been raised as defined in 6 NYCRR Part 621 Uniform Procedures, and if an adjudicatory public hearing should be scheduled before an administrative law judge. In order to raise substantive and significant issues, written comments expressing objections or opposition to the applications must explain the basis of that opposition and identify the specific grounds which could lead NYS DEC to deny or impose significant permit conditions on the project.
A copy of NYS DEC's permit hearing procedures is available upon request or on NYS DEC's website at: https://www.dec.ny.gov/permits/6234.html.
All written filed comments and electronically submitted comments must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on February 7, 2023.
Contact: Karen Gaidasz, NYS DEC - Division of Environmental Permits, Bureau of Energy Project Management, 625 Broadway, 4th Floor, Albany, NY 12233-1750, Phone: (518) 402-9167, Fax: (518) 402-9168, E-mail: [email protected]
