Permit issued to natural gas compressor station | News, Sports, Jobs - The Steubenville Herald-Star

Permit issued to natural gas compressor station | News, Sports, Jobs - The Herald Star

Permit issued to natural gas compressor station

WELLSBURG — Officials with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection have issued a permit for a natural gas compressor station at 4928 McAdoo Ridge while responding to questions and concerns raised by residents attending a Dec. 15 public hearing on the matter and in writing since.

Under the Title V permit issued by the department’s Division of Air Quality, Appalachian Midstream Service’s Mountaineer compressor station may release, per year, up to 73.98 tons of carbon monoxide, 108.32 tons of nitrous oxides, 7.82 tons of particulate matter less than 2.5 microns, 7.82 tons of particulate matter less than 10 microns, 0.75 tons of sulfur dioxide and 158.20 tons of volatile organic compounds.

Used to maintain the flow of gas through transmission lines from area well sites to end users, the station was built in 2020 and under state regulations, was given 12 months from the start of its operations in March 2021 to seek the federal permit.

Robert Mullens, a permit writer for the project, said the facility’s total emissions for its first three months were well below the EPA’s limits and it would have to be run at maximum capacity every day to exceed them.

But residents attending the hearing raised concerns about incidents in which the plant malfunctioned and aired complaints about noise from it.

Regina Lindsey-Lynch and Edward Lynch, who live near the station, noted there were five incidents, between May and September of 2020, when pollutants were released by the station because of a malfunctioning thermal oxidizer used to control its emissions.

They asked if residents can be notified of such episodes at the time instead of learning of them through reports posted on the DEP’s website afterward.

DEP officials said, “If a facility has an unplanned release of air pollutants above applicable quantities, notifications are provided by the facility to federal and state call centers, which then coordinate with local emergency personnel to determine an appropriate course of action, which may include notification to the public, a shelter in place or an evacuation.”

The Lynches also asked about backup systems in the event the thermal oxidizer fails again and were told federal regulations don’t require such systems.

The Lynches and other residents also requested an air monitoring device for their area, noting the nearest ones are at Mahan Lane in Follansbee and McKims Ridge and Marland Heights near Weirton.

DAQ officials said they “must site monitors per federal guidelines and approval and as resources allow. Ambient air monitoring sites are expensive to maintain and operate.”

They added there are monitors for hazardous air pollutants, including some volatile organic compounds in Ohio County.

The Lynches also asked about emissions during two periods when the station was shut down so it could be safely depressurized for repairs and gases were released through a vent or flare.

They said the flares could be seen in the sky for 10 hours on Oct. 16 and six hours on Nov. 17. They asked why a siren was activated during the second incident and whether residents in about 50 homes in the vicinity should have been ordered to evacuate.

DEP officials said the incidents occurred over just short of seven minutes on Oct. 16 and about seven hours on Nov. 17 and no enforcement action by the agency was needed.

They added, “Decisions about warnings to the nearby neighbors are addressed at the local level by the county emergency management personnel.”

In response to complaints of the plant’s proximity to homes and noise created by it, the state agency responded that issues related to such operations near residential areas are governed by local governments, not the agency, and noise isn’t a factor considered for the permit’s approval.

There are no zoning ordinances for unincorporated areas of Brooke County. The county has a noise ordinance but it doesn’t pertain to local industry.

Prior to the hearing, state officials said the station included perforated metal walls designed to block sound and in response to complaints of noise, a 30-foot-high steel sound barrier was added outside.

Resident Kenneth Dight Jr. said noise remained a problem and suggested extending the barrier or creating an earthen one.

(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com.)