Federal Agency Orders Analysis of Weymouth Compressor Station Incidents; Hingham Residents and Others Continue the Fight

October 4, 2020 by Carol Britton Meyer

Trying to stop the natural gas compressor station in nearby Weymouth due to public health and safety concerns has been an uphill battle for members of Hingham Residents Against the Compressor Station and others who have joined the fight.

Following recent incidents that occurred at the site, their concerns have only increased.

Congressman Stephen F. Lynch posted on social media that the Weymouth Compressor Station has officially been shut down by order of the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).

Enbridge -- which is building the new facility adjacent to the new Fore River Bridge in North Weymouth, about two miles from the nearest part of Hingham --  is now required to complete "a root cause analysis" to determine what caused what Lynch referred to as "the recent blowouts" and then must satisfy a PHMSA "corrective action order" to demonstrate that Enbridge can operate the facility safely, according to Lynch's post.

"Their plan will have to be reviewed by an independent third party, and their restart plan will require approval by the Director of the PHMSA," according to Lynch.

Following the most recent incident, Lynch toured the site with State House Majority Leader Ron Mariano, Sen. Patrick O'Connor, Rep. Jamie Murphy, Weymouth Town Councilor Pascale Burga, Alice Arena (Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station), and PHMSA Investigator Jim Pfeifle "to observe the ongoing investigation and to help ensure that public safety is a top priority. We will keep fighting," Lynch stated.

HRAC Co-Founder & President Jennifer Mathien shared her ever-increasing concerns and doubts with the Hingham Anchor: “We at HRAC are extremely concerned about the two [recent] emergency compressor shutdowns. They highlight the inherent safety and health risks of this project that we’ve been fighting all along. More concerning is the fact that there is NO on-site air quality monitoring station and NO safety plan, both of which Governor Baker promised would be in place prior to this point. Unfortunately we believe PHMSA’s recent order is just a pause and not a halt. The fact that Enbridge doesn’t even know the cause of the recent emergency is a huge red flag that should prompt an immediate revoking of their permits.”

In response to an email from the Hingham Anchor, Enbridge Spokesperson Max Bergeron said that Enbridge "decided to temporarily pause operations at the Weymouth Compressor Station while it completes a thorough review of recent events and works with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to make certain the facility is fully ready for service."

According to Bergeron, Enbridge received and is reviewing PHMSA's corrective action order related to the Emergency Shutdown (ESD) events on Sept. 11 and Sept. 30, and is "cooperating with PHMSA to ensure we remain in compliance with all applicable regulations."

Bergeron went on to say that "while initial indications are that there were no conditions which would have necessitated an ESD on Sept. 30, once activated, the ESD system operated as designed and safely isolated the station and vented the natural gas in a controlled manner. As we continue to gather additional information as part of a detailed review process, we have found no issues which would affect the safety of the station."

During testing and calibrating activities on Sept. 11, Bergeron said, "we experienced an issue with a piece of equipment at the Weymouth Compressor Station and rapidly initiated the controlled venting of natural gas through the Emergency Shutdown stack to maintain a safe worksite. The safety procedures were properly followed, and all personnel remained safe at the facility. We are committed to placing the compressor station in service only once we are fully confident any issues have been properly addressed."

Mathien told the Hingham Anchor that she is particularly concerned because  following the Sept. 30 incident, "none of the towns notified their residents at the time," referring to the fact that town officials and residents in Weymouth, Braintree, and Quincy have also expressed opposition to the compressor station.

She took issue with Enbridge announcing Oct. 1 "that they have paused their planned start of operations given the recent accident until they thoroughly review the cause and can ensure safety, but they had to delay. PHMSA ordered them to.

"Sadly it's just a temporary stop. It's basically like being sent to detention, not being expelled," Mathien said.

In her opinion, "Once they find the cause and 'patch it,' they'll be on their way."

HRAC encourages concerned residents to contact Gov. Baker's constituent line at (617) 725-4005 "to ask him to keep his word and to expedite the installment of an air quality monitoring station, and to halt the compressor until the health and safety of the surrounding public can be guaranteed."

The Hingham Anchor reached out to Gov. Baker's office yesterday for comment, and to Congressman Lynch's office today, and is awaiting their replies.

Also in response to an email from the Hingham Anchor, Mass. Department of Environmental Protection Spokesman Ed Coletta said that the Baker-Polito Administration believes the compressor station in Weymouth "should be shut down until a thorough, transparent investigation into safety issues is completed and a determination is made by Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration that the facility is safe to operate."

While the federal government has primary jurisdiction over the siting and safe operation of interstate pipeline projects, "the Commonwealth remains committed to ensuring that all environmental requirements are met and will continue to conduct site inspections and monitor air quality in the area," Coletta said.