Op-Ed: CTDEEP should reject compressor station expansion in Brookefield

Representative Martin Foncello sent the following op-ed to CT Post:

Just 1,900 feet from Whisconier Middle School in Brookfield, a natural gas pipeline runs beneath the soil. The property also contains two compressor stations, but Iroquois Gas Transmission System wants to double that infrastructure.

With a new health study out, prepared for the Sierra Club, I feel it’s important to restate my opposition to the expansion project. I am calling on the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to deny permit applications for this natural gas compressor station expansion project. In July, I spoke with an attorney from Save the Sound about our shared opposition to the expansion. We’ve all heard the concerns from residents and DEEP should listen too.

I’ve been opposed to any expansions since I served as Brookfield First Selectman in the early 2000s.

Iroquois plans to add two large gas-fired turbine compressors, an emergency generator, and several smaller components to its existing Brookfield site. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the initial application in 2020, despite objections from the Environmental Protection Agency.

The state agency should follow its federal counterpart’s lead by rejecting the permits.

The project runs counter to DEEP’s stated goals of lowering greenhouse gas emissions and moving toward clean energy goals. Not only could this increase emissions, but state residents will also not benefit from the energy being produced and transported. The natural gas is just flowing from Canada to Long Island for use by New Yorkers.

The compressor station is remotely monitored, which also poses a safety risk.

Should there be an emergency, the town and region are prepared to respond, and I am confident in our Brookfield Fire, Police and EMS departments, but there are also safety concerns around criminal mischief. The current fence around the site is inadequate and does not enclose the whole facility.

Before DEEP makes a decision on the permit application, the agency should hold a public hearing, at a time and location convenient for the people most impacted by the project to hear about why this expansion would not benefit the community. This should be done in Brookfield, not in Hartford.

State Rep. Martin Foncello is a Brookfield resident and is the 107th District Representative for Brookfield, and parts of Bethel and Newtown. He is a member of the General Assembly’s Aging, Appropriations, and Education committees.