Noise Nightmare as Algonquin Pipeline Woes Lead to 24-hour Work

CORTLANDT, NY — The failure to pull 42-inch diameter pipe through the hole it drilled under the Hudson River has left Spectra Energy working 24/7 to get the pieces of pipe out so it can try again.

This is a major setback for the project to expand the Algonquin fracked-gas pipeline, which runs through Rockland, Westchester and Putnam counties on its way to New England.

The setback in Cortlandt has led to extraordinary noise problems as crews mount, use, dismantle and remount pneumatic hammers they're using to get out pieces of new pipe stuck under the river.

So far, the company says it has compensated 18 households for relocation for three days and is considering relocating more.

"In light of what happened last evening in Verplanck I once again made an official complaint to FERC and Spectra," said Cortlandt Town Supervisor Linda Puglisi in a press release.

She encouraged town residents to file complaints.

• The Spectra Hotline Number for Homeowners is 1-866-873-2579.
• The FERC Customer Service number is 1-866-208-3372 for FERC Document number CP-14-96
• The FERC Landowner Hotline is 1-877-337-2237

She attached a copy of the schedule and noise contingency plan Spectra submitted Sept. 2 for dealing with the problems it has with pipe under the Hudson River. It includes day and night work all the way through Labor Day and beyond.

RELATED:

• FERC Says Environmental Impacts of Pipeline Expansion Minimal
• Peaceful Resistance Training Offered to Opponents of Pipeline Expansion
• Is Algonquin Expansion Part of System Upgrade: FERC

Spectra’s plan to enlarge the pipeline includes three projects so far.

The AIM Project involves the construction, installation, operation, and maintenance of 37.4 miles of pipeline and related facilities in New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Most of the pipeline installation will replace existing pipeline with larger diameter pipeline.

Atlantic Bridge includes replacement of another 10.9 miles of existing pipeline with new larger diameter pipe.
Access Northeast includes the expansion of approximately 125 miles of the existing Algonquin pipeline system, plus new lines and facilities, including a new Liquified Natural Gas Storage Facility in Acushnet, Massachusetts.

According to the company's letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, it was unsuccessful with its "pullback" of the 42-inch diameter pipe through the hole it had drilled under the Hudson River. Because of a disconnect in the drill string still under investigation, the company was unable to complete the operation — after 3,100 feet of pipe had been pulled back.

Since then, the company has been having trouble getting the pipe out of the drill hole, according to the letter to FERC.

"The activities that are going on are considered critical," the company wrote.

And the noise just escalated, night after night. Here's how the company described it to FERC:

Initial efforts to remove the product pipe using only the drill rig were
unsuccessful. On Tuesday, August 30, 2016, the contractor began installing pneumatic hammer
assembly on the eastern end of the pipeline. On Tuesday evening, the pneumatic hammer was
used to extract approximately 191 feet of product pipe. The pneumatic hammer was operated for
five durations, with a total duration of 21 minutes. Buoyancy water was removed from the
product pipe to facilitate the extraction of the product pipe. This water was pumped into water
storage tanks located onsite. On Wednesday, August 31, 2016, the contractor attempted to
continue the extraction process using only the drill rig, but was unsuccessful. The contractor
removed more buoyancy water from the pipeline and attempted to extract the product pipe, but
again was unsuccessful. On Thursday, September 1, 2016, the contractor re-installed the
pneumatic hammer assembly on the eastern end of the product pipe and began retracting pipeline
during the nighttime hours, achieving approximately 832 feet of extraction for an overall total of
1,032 feet extracted. The pneumatic hammer was operated for thirty durations, with a total
duration of 90 minutes.

Puglisi is calling for no more nighttime hammering and far better notification to residents.

The company says:

• Notifications to landowners- residents were notified of these activities in the following areas: along 9th Street, 10th Street, 11th Street, along Highland Street between 9th Street and 11th Street, along Broadway between 9th Street and 14th Street, and several residents on a portion of 14th Street which is located higher than the surrounding area.
• 70 informational flyers were delivered to nearby residents on the evening of August 30th
• Algonquin compensated 18 households for relocation for three days. (Algonquin is evaluating how to expand this offer for relocation to more households if nighttime construction involving the pneumatic hammer is required)
• 80 information flyers were delivered to nearby residents on the evening of September 1st

Specific Construction Activities and Schedule Anticipated for Labor Day Weekend
The following activities are planned from September 1, 2016 through the Labor Day holiday
weekend. These activities are subject to change based on the progress made in retracting the
pipeline and de-watering activities.
Friday daytime September 2, 2016

• Remove pneumatic hammer assembly
• Dewater buoyancy water from installed product pipe
• Make cut on removed pipeline and relocate that segment adjacent to pullback pipe string
• Re-install pneumatic hammer assembly

Friday night September 2, 2016

• Continue extracting remaining pullback string, only utilizing the pneumatic hammer when needed (Algonquin evaluating whether it is feasible to adjust this plan to move the extraction and pneumatic hammer work to the daytime to help mitigate noise issues)
• Dewater buoyancy water from installed pipeline

Saturday daytime September 3, 2016

• Complete extraction of all pipe by Saturday afternoon
• Dewater buoyancy water from installed pipeline
• Blow down pressurized lines used to dewater pipeline

Saturday night September 3, 2016

• Begin to move drill rig from current location to original location
• Set-up all noise attenuation measures
• Begin inspection of all pipeline segmentsSunday daytime September 4, 2016
• Continue setting up drill operations at original location.
• Continue inspections of pipeline segmentsSunday night September 4, 2016
• Complete setting up drill operations in preparation for re-establishment of drill stem.

Monday Labor Day September 5, 2016

• Anticipate no activity on east side of Hudson River HDD work area

Here's what the company informed FERC will be the schedule for the next two weeks after that:

• Re-establish drill stem – September 6 to September 7
• Ream drill hole – September 7 to September 8
• Complete swab pass of the drill hole - September 8 to September 9
• Make any repairs to the pipe/coating - September 6 to September 12
• Begin pipeline pull back - September 13 to September 16

Noise Mitigation measures
The following noise mitigation measures are in place at the HDD site.

• Sound abatement walls at the eastern end of the HDD pullback workspace
• Low-noise air compressor with sound-suppressing enclosure
• Hammer assembly modified to change direction of air pressure blow-off energy
• Sound blankets installed on fencing along the workspace boundary closest to Saint Patrick’s Church
• Sound blankets placed directly on air hammer and first 20 feet of the pipeline during operation of air hammer

Noise monitoring procedures and locations
Night-time sound measurements are obtained every hour at the locations of the four closest noise
sensitive areas (NSA’s); the intersection of Highland and 9th Street, the intersection of Broadway
and 11th Street, at Saint Patrick’s Church, and also at 214 Eleventh Street. The noise monitor
travels to each of the NSA’s with the meter and collects readings from the NSA. During heavy
construction sequences, noise reading intervals are modified to every half-hour. Noise readings
can be provided upon request.

PHOTO: Noise mitigation measures/ Algonquin