CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Tennessee Gas Co., the company looking to expand and modify their natural gas pipelines in Massachusetts, released an environmental impact report.
The report is for the Northeast Energy Direct Project, or NED project. In the report, the company details more than 1,700 acres of land in the state would be impacted during construction. Even after construction, almost 750 acres will continue to be affected while the project is in operation.
The NED project would bring more natural gas into the region, which the company argues would lower energy costs.
In the report, Tennessee Gas Company stated it plans to build a new compression station somewhere in Franklin County, although an exact location has not been determined just yet. These stations perform the task of compressing natural gas as it travels through pipelines. They are generally located every 40 to 70 miles along a pipeline.
The report also calls for the building of two new meter stations, one in Deerfield and another in Longmeadow, as well as modifying an existing station in North Adams. Meter stations measure the amount of natural gas entering or exiting a pipeline.
Tennessee Gas Co. anticipates it will file a second draft of the Environmental Report in June 2015, and to include a final Environmental Report as an exhibit to the certificate application for the Project, expected to be filed in September 2015.
The company plans to have construction completed and the project operational by 2018.
To read the full Environmental Report, Click Here.
