NORWICH – Developers of a natural gas pipeline say that unless New York Regional Interconnect Inc. addresses certain issues in its current proposal, the power line could create a hazardous situation along 42 miles of its 200-mile stretch.
According to studies cited by Millennium Pipeline LLC, NYRI’s high voltage power line, if built, has the potential to create unsafe electrical charges on the natural gas conduit, and corrode its protective outer coating.
“Yes, that proposal could have an impact on our operation,” said Michael Armiak, an economic development specialist with Millennium Pipeline LLC in a phone interview Tuesday with The Evening Sun. “We want to clear that up before a decision (on the power line) is revealed.”
Albany-based NYRI plans to construct a 400,000 volt direct current transmission line from Oneida to Orange County, which includes building along a total of 42 miles of the existing and future pipeline on its right of ways between Deposit and Ramapo.
A NYRI representative said the company has “exchanged technical information with Millennium” regarding this issue. Armiak confirmed there has been some correspondence with the Albany firm, but only on “general terms.” Armiak also pointed out that NYRI has not yet gained any land use rights to the pipeline’s right of ways, which are currently only contracted for natural gas facilities.
In July, officials with Millennium filed a statement with the New York State Public Service Commission, citing that NYRI had not clearly demonstrated how it planned to avoid or eliminate the certain safety concerns posed by the coexistence of power lines with pipelines.
“Unless the Commission includes mutually-acceptable sound engineering accommodations in any Certificate issued for the construction of NYRI’s proposed HVDC (high voltage direct current) line,” states a letter sent to the PSC on behalf of Millennium and its parent company, the Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation. “That HVDC line may be harmful to the safe and reliable operation of the Applicants’ (Millennium and Columbia’s) gas pipeline facilities.”
A spokeswoman from the PSC could not comment specifically on NYRI’s use of the pipeline, but said that any information filed with that agency, or filed in the Article VII review, will be investigated. NYRI’s current Article VII is incomplete, and cannot be reviewed until it is supplemented with more information.
Upon further research done by the PSC, NYRI, and Millennium, the natural gas company is requesting that NYRI – prior to its power line’s approval – enter into an operating agreement specifying how it plans construct and operate its facility, along with upgrading or financing the upgrade of Millennium, so as to ensure safety and reliability along the corridor.
When asked if any technical investigations or financial considerations have been discussed to date between NYRI and Millennium, power line spokesman David Kalson replied via email, “NYRI's Article VII application states that a number of segments of the transmission line are proposed to parallel the Millennium Pipeline.” “NYRI has exchanged technical information with Millennium,” Kalson added.
The Millennium letter states that although it’s less probable with direct current, stray and leaked currents from NYRI’s transmission line could electrically charge the pipeline itself. Also, according to Millennium, ground currents from the power line could corrode its facilities.
“HVDC lines can create very large levels of net current flows through the ground. Such ground current flows can cause serious corrosion damage to underground pipeline facilities located adjacent to an HVDC line,” the July letter states. “Even modest levels of DC fault current may cause serious corrosion damage to that facility.”
The Millennium Pipeline project has been approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and is owned by the Columbia Gas Transmission Corporation, which currently has a natural gas pipeline running from Canada to Corning, and from Corning to Ramapo, known as the A-5 line. Construction of the Millennium Pipeline will begin in Spring 2007, and will replace and upgrade certain portions of A-5 line from Corning down to the southeast.
The PSC, based on recommendations from the New York state Department of Environmental Conservation, has already ordered NYRI to produce a cumulative environmental impact study of both its project and the Millennium if they were to exist together.