Frequently Asked Questions

Federal rules require us to make a good faith effort to notify all affected landowners, communities, and towns, as well as local, state, and federal governments and agencies affected by a proposed project. We will mail landowner packages with details about the project and, if necessary, hold an open house to provide information about the project. In addition, FERC will send those landowners a copy of the Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement produced for the project, which characterizes the project's environmental impacts, evaluates other alternatives to the final site selected for the project, and allows individuals the opportunity to participate by in the application process.

Our representatives will advise a landowner of the construction start date affecting his or her property. This will allow the landowner to schedule any activities in ways that minimize inconvenience for both parties. However, the availability of equipment, weather, and other factors can be unpredictable and might affect the actual start date. All landowners will be notified of any significant changes to the construction timeline.

Land owners who have pipeline on their property may build up to the right-of-way, but not on it.

Although difficult to predict, disturbance across an owner’s land could range from one to two months for construction and three to six months for restoration. This time period could be shorter if all construction crews are working back-to-back. However, depending on many variables including weather, pipe delivery, trench conditions, etc., crews may not be able to work at the same speed as the previous crew, and thus, disturbance on your land could continue intermittently for up to three months. We will use reasonable efforts to keep the construction crews moving forward and minimize the time period in which your land is disturbed.

All construction activities will be restricted to the right-of-way and temporary workspace areas granted to us by the landowner. Only these roads agreed to in advance will be used by the construction crews.

The right-of-way will be graded after construction to allow normal water drainage. All drainages will be returned to their original patterns. The right-of-way may be terraced, seeded, mulched or otherwise stabilized to prevent erosion.

The top 12 inches of soil will be excavated and segregated into separate stockpiles to allow for the re-establishment of the original soil profile in agricultural fields, hayfields or other fields used for crops. In areas where there is less than 12 inches of topsoil, all of the topsoil will be removed and stored separately. Once construction is complete, the subsoil will be placed into the trench first, followed by the topsoil.

The situation is highly unlikely, but in an effort to prepare for every circumstance, you may contact our personnel should this happen. It is rare, but not impossible. Please be sure you point out the location of any underground utilities or structures to our land agent prior to construction to minimize the potential for disruptions.

This pipeline is used for transporting natural gas to interstate market areas in the United States where it can be distributed by local distribution companies or used as fuel in power generation for industrial facilities. We do not own the natural gas in the line and cannot provide service directly to you. Please contact your local gas utility company to ask about natural gas service.

The noise attributable to a new compressor station, or any modifications to existing stations, must not exceed a day-night average noise level of 55 dBA at any pre-existing noise-sensitive areas such as schools, hospitals, or residences. The new or modified facilities will be designed to comply with this limit, and actual noise surveys will be conducted during initial operation, with results reported to FERC to document compliance. The image below reflects the noise chart depicting 55 dBA in relationship to other sources of noise. 

All interstate natural gas facilities are required to comply with the U.S. Department of Transportation's (US DOT) Minimum Safety Standards. Natural gas transmission compressor stations are engineered, constructed, operated, and maintained in accordance with Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) safety standards. Compressor stations are constructed with multiple safety systems, such as gas and fire detection systems and emergency shutdown equipment. In the event of an accident, these systems have been designed to ensure the station is safely shut down with minimal risk to the public or the environment.

We work very hard to incorporate design features that minimize vibration. At times, there may be some minor localized vibration which is mostly felt within the station yard and not by those in the surrounding area. A full vibration and pulsation analysis is performed on the compressor packages as well as the station piping both during design and after design to assess any improvements that need to be made. It’s not unusual to need to come back and install dampeners or supports after the station is running to reduce pulsation and vibration.

Owners of property adjacent to a compressor station may build upon their land, except for any existing agreements regarding established right-of-way on their property.

Resources from the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA):

• The facts about living near a natural gas transmission compressor station
• How the Regulatory Process Protects those living near Natural Gas Transmission Compressor Stations

Safety is our number one priority in all that we do, and we are committed to operating our assets in a safe, reliable and compliant manner. To that end, we monitor our natural gas pipeline systems 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through our Pipeline Control Center. Our compressor stations are fenced and have controlled access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Natural gas pipeline systems are designed and constructed in accordance with the pipeline safety standards established by industry experts and the US DOT.

The safety of our personnel and those in the surrounding community is our top priority. In the rare event of an emergency, local first responders will be immediately notified. We will then work with them to take all necessary and appropriate actions to isolate the area and inform the public of an emergency.