[O]pponents of a 41-mile natural gas pipeline into Addison County are asking Gov. Phil Scott to require the pipeline’s owners to apply a second time for the permit allowing its construction.
The company, Vermont Gas Systems, has been finishing work on the pipeline.
A case before the Vermont Supreme Court challenges whether a 2,000-foot section beneath Hinesburg’s Geprags Park can lawfully be there, but the court has allowed construction to proceed while the case is heard.
Opponents of the pipeline say that emails they’ve recently obtained from state officials confirm their belief the pipeline was built without adequate safety oversight. Contractors on the pipeline violated safety and environmental rules, and critics say state regulators should have pursued sanctions against Vermont Gas more vigorously.
Pipeline foes have asked the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to look into the pipeline’s construction.
That investigation concerns “the safety and integrity of the Vermont Gas System Addison Natural Gas Project,” said a PHMSA official. “PHMSA welding and corrosion experts are reviewing construction records and construction practices,” and the investigation is ongoing, he said.
Rachel Smolker, a critic of the pipeline, said residents living near it are now endangered by shoddy construction practices.
“We’re hoping (Scott) will say, ‘Look, we need to put a halt to the gasification and operation of the pipeline until it’s been thoroughly evaluated and these problems are resolved,’” Smolker said. Scott should reopen the process for the certificate of public good from the Public Service Board that authorized the project, Smolker said.
Scott’s spokeswoman, Rebecca Kelley, did not respond to a request for comment.
The governor cannot require the Public Service Board to alter its orders.
Recent records disclosures reveal the lack of state oversight of the construction was more prevalent than previously thought, Smolker said.
Vermont Gas spokeswoman Beth Parent said the company is eager to begin supplying gas to Addison County.
“This is an exciting time for us as we look to bring an important energy choice to Addison County in the very near future, and our focus is on the thousands of families and businesses who have waited patiently for access to safe, clean, affordable and reliable natural gas,” Parent said in an email.
