The
Forum:
Defending
the Propane Storage project
To the Editor on June 2:
As many of you know, US Salt has been manufacturing high
quality salt products for well over one hundred years in the Finger
Lakes region. Byron and I have worked at US Salt for more than thirty
years; starting at the bottom and working our way up to our respective
leadership positions. We feel it necessary to set the record straight
about the Propane Storage project at US Salt’s Watkins Glen plant.
INERGY --
Inergy has been a great partner for US Salt. They are very much a part
of our Finger Lakes community through their commitment, investment and
support of the good jobs we have here. In fact, employment has grown
since we merged with Inergy. Investment in the facility also has increased
significantly.
THE FUTURE --
This project is not about the industrialization of the Finger Lakes.
A Salt Storage well is simply not noticeable. Critics have claimed that
we have sixty wells ready to be placed into service once we get going
- which is simply not true. Most of these wells are capped and abandoned
and will not be used. The most important point to understand is that
there is a limit to how much energy storage is needed.
TRUCKS AND TRAFFIC --
This project is not about truck traffic. The current demand for propane
by consumers is not being supported by the existing pipeline and existing
storage. Propane is being trucked in to the Finger Lakes today from
long distances by necessity. This significantly increases the cost to
the consumer. Further, propane is largely a winter product, so most
truck traffic will occur outside the normal tourist season.
THE RAILROAD BRIDGE --
The Watkins Glen Gorge Bridge is regulated and inspected
by the Federal Railroad Administration. The bridge is owned by the Norfolk
Southern Railroad. Those two groups are more qualified to evaluate bridge
conditions than anyone else. Up until the Dresden power plant’s
recent closure the bridge supported large unit trains of coal. It’s
important to note that the train that uses this bridge already operates
six days a week to move a variety of cargo. It will simply stop at the
facility for loading and unloading.
BRINE POND -- The
brine pond (brine is just salt water and no other chemicals) is a state
of the art design with double liners, a leak detection system, a recirculation
system, and a large user (US Salt) connected by pipe. The design is
better than those used in landfills throughout the State that have a
track record cited by NYSDEC of zero leaks during their extensive operation.
In addition, the pond contains some brine only part of the year. Since
propane demand is dependent on population, and brine ponds are dependent
on propane demand, I wouldn’t look for more brine ponds. There
will be significant amounts of landscaping around the brine pond. The
banks of the brine pond will be vegetated with grass, and a grass-covered
hill is all anyone on Seneca Lake will be able to see, not unlike other
views from the Lake. In the highly unlikely event that all these mitigation
systems fail (noting again the DEC’s record of no leaks with these
designs) we can send the brine to US Salt.
THE SALT CAVERNS --
The salt caverns are not under the lake as some say. They are located
under US Salt’s property and are deeper than the lake bottom by
some 2,000 feet of rock. All salt caverns in use today or those no longer
in use are always under significant pressure. For a cavern to be placed
into salt or storage service it must pass a Mechanical Integrity test.
In this test, the wellhead pressure is recorded, and then the well is
closed off. Periodic checks are done to make sure the well holds its
pressure.
HISTORY, EXPERIENCE AND
OVERSIGHT -- Energy storage has occurred at US Salt
for over 40 years. Starting in the 1960’s, Propane was stored
on our site in exactly the same quantities and manner as is being planned
now. It is now stored across the road from us in smaller quantities
-- which is why there is a shortage. Natural gas has been stored on
our property since the mid 1990s. Propane has been stored safely in
salt caverns down the road in Bath, NY for over fifty years. This project
is being reviewed very thoroughly by NYSDEC’s engineers and professionals.
It will be also regulated by the EPA through its Process Safety Management
program.
ENERGY HUB OF THE NORTHEAST
-- The Propane Storage project is NOT the future “Energy
Hub of the Northeast.” The Gas Storage facility which has been
located at the US Salt Watkins Glen site for the past 16 years is NOT
the future “Energy Hub of the Northeast.” These words describe
Inergy’s longstanding storage and transport operations located
across northern Pennsylvania and several counties in upstate New York.
Those people who are uninformed about our Propane Project are using
these misleading labels. Inergy has many projects going on in other
locations. You can’t just pick a label for another project and
apply it here!
Let’s not forget that industry provides good paying year-round
jobs. New York has lost too many good jobs and has some of the highest
energy costs in the nation.
Tourism and Industry have co-existed in the Finger Lakes for many years,
and during this time both sectors have experienced growth. This should
not be about choosing Industry or Tourism. We can have both; which is
beneficial to all of us.
US Salt -whether making salt products or storing energy - has been
a dependable and inconspicuous neighbor for a long time. We plan on
keeping it that way.
Sincerely,
--Frank Pastore, Plant Manager, and Byron Thompson,
USW Local 12460-4 President
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