Site Picked for Transco Gas Compressor Station Near South Brunswick

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ - Princeton Manor residents did not exactly cheer at Tuesday's news: The Williams energy company selected a location closest to them for its proposed natural gas compressor station off Rt. 27. For the past six months, Williams has been going back and forth between two locations on the South Brunswick/Franklin border: Site A, at the intersection of Rt. 27 and Promenade Boulevard, and the other farther north, Site B at the intersection of Rt. 518 and Rt. 27.

On Tuesday, Williams announced they had selected Site B as the final location for the station. If the federal government OK's it, a 32,000-horsepower gas compressor station will be built on a 52-acre plot of land one mile south of the intersection of Rts. 27 and 518 (Georgetown Franklin Turnpike). A rendering of the station is above.

Site B is further away from residents of Princeton Walk, who had strongly objected to the compressor station. But now it's much closer to residents of Princeton Manor, the 55+ adult community along Rt. 27. Not to mention Baumley Nursery, Madden's Greenhouse & Nursery, a Buddhist temple and a veterinary office. All of those are located on Rt. 27 near where the station will be built. In fact, Princeton Manor residents are meeting Friday morning to discuss the gas compressor station.

"Frankly, it is very upsetting," said Franklin Township resident Shubhendu Singh. Singh is president of the Princeton Highlands Homeowners' Association, also located near Site B. "This is really a question about the safety of our families. Williams has been hard-pressed to give us any examples of a gas compressor of this capacity running in the vicinity of a densely populated neighborhood such as ours. And we refuse to be first in line with this compressor — especially with Williams' dismal safety record."

Williams said they chose Site B because it minimizes potential impacts to residential areas as well as to environmental resources, such as wetlands and waterbodies. Their request to build the station must be approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The compressor station would aid the flow of natural gas into New York City, carried on the Transco pipepline. Since the 1960s, there have been two Transco pipelines that run underground through Franklin Township.

The land on both sites A and B is currently owned by Trap Rock Quarry, which would sell it to Williams if the federal government approves the station.

But those who live in South Brunswick and Franklin are still very concerned about the compressor gas station, which they say will be noisy, dangerous and cause pollution and environmental damage. Both South Brunswick and Franklin townships passed resolutions against the station earlier this year.

"We are charging full steam ahead to continue our opposition," said Singh. "Thankfully our elected officials continue to support us."

Williams says the compressor station will be set back in the woods, away from homes and businesses and will sound "no louder than a refrigerator."

Past Patch coverage:

Natural Gas Compressor In Franklin Causes Concerns For Local Residents

Pipeline Spokesman Says Sound is 'Comparable to a Refrigerator'