Have Your Say: Algonquin Pipeline Through Rockland, Westchester, Putnam

Comments are pouring in to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission about the Algonquin Pipeline expansion, which would run compressed natural gas in a 42-inch pipe through Rockland, Westchester and Putnam counties to energy-needy New England.

"Potential dangers far outweigh the suggested benefits!" said Amy Molina of Cortlandt in a letter to FERC. "Several large energy and industrial facilities presently exist in proximity to the site of the proposed Algonquin landSill in Verplanck: Indian Point Nuclear Reactors 1, 2 and 3; Continental Gypsum Plant; RESCO garbage burning facility; power facilities in Stony Point and Haverstraw, NY; and, the 1,000 MW Champlain-Hudson power cable, which FERC recently approved. Massive quantities of power, energy, and pollution are concentrated in a very small area of our community right now. How much more can one small community safely accommodate?"

What you need to know:

• The proposal comes from the pipeline's owner, Spectra Energy.
• The purpose is sending more natural gas to New England, where businesses shut down this winter due to high costs and shortages, according to the Boston Globe.
• It would replace the existing 26-inch pipeline with a 42-inch diameter pipeline through Rockland, Westchester and Putnam counties into Connecticut and beyond.
• New pipe would be laid across the Hudson River in New York from Stony Point to Verplanck, next to the Indian Point nuclear power plant.
  
• New natural-gas compression stations would be built in Stony Point and Southeast.
• SAPE (Stop the Algonquin Pipeline Expansion) is a grassroots organization opposed to the proposal.
• On February 28, Algonquin filed with FERC an application for authorization to construct and operate the AIM Project and was assigned docket number CP14-96-000.