By Glenn Rolfe

GEORGETOWN —– Majority ruled Tuesday as Sussex County Council approved a conditional use request allowing Eastern Shore Natural Gas to expand its Bridgeville compressor facility with a metered regulatory station that will serve as a receipt point for natural gas.

Council’s affirmative vote was 4-1, with Cindy Green (R-Greenwood), Mark Schaeffer (R-Lewes), Doug Hudson (R-Clarksville) and Michael Vincent (R-Seaford) agreeing with the recommendation and conditions tendered by the Sussex County Planning Commission at its March 10 meeting.

Councilman John Rieley (R-Millsboro) voted against ESNG’s request, which had drawn objection at the PZ public hearing level. Those concerns included proximity to Woodbridge School District’s Phillis Wheatley Elementary School, potential for explosion, additional truck traffic and noise.

“I love natural gas. I think it is the absolutely the right thing to do to expand the plant. I just wish it wasn’t there, in that particular location,” said Mr. Rieley. “I have often used the example of why do we have a planning and zoning commission? Why do we have zoning laws? We use the example of you don’t want to put a leather tanning factory in the middle of a residential neighborhood. I have to be honest; this strikes me a little bit too close to that type of scenario. I’m going to vote no.”

With council approval — and subsequent final site plan approval from the planning commission — ESNG will be able allow renewable natural gas, compressed natural gas or liquified natural gas to be injected into the existing pipeline system at its existing Emma Jane Lane compressor station site in Bridgeville, which has been in operation since 1988.

“Our safety record is impeccable. We intend to keep it that way,” said ESNG engineering manager Mark Parker, adding that this is achieved through the “annual monitoring that meets or exceeds all federal requirements” and the 24/7 monitored gas control facility in Dover.

Camden area resident Greg Layton, speaking on behalf of “hundreds of Sussex County residents” as Delaware organizer for Food & Water Watch, stated during Tuesday’s public hearing that “expanding the Eastern Shore Natural Gas pipeline is everything we don’t need and then some. It is abundantly clear that Delaware needs to move on from fossil fuel infrastructure and factory farms, not double down on them.”

One bone of contention has been the location of the elementary school. At the PZ hearing, Mr. Parker said ESNG’s current facility is about 800 feet from the closest residence, and about a fifth of a mile from the Phillis Wheatley Elementary School and its playground on Church Street. Those distances are far outside the 200 foot potential impact area, Mr. Parker said.

Mr. Layton said Food & Water Watch sees otherwise, saying “it should be obvious that Sussex County children and educators don’t need an expanded hazardous pipeline next to an elementary school.”

Additionally, Mr. Layton claimed this “pipeline expansion would accept gas” from the proposed Bioenergy DevCo facility proposed near Seaford, and possibly other factory farm gas projects.

“As the lowest lying state in the country, Delawareans have a lot to lose under changing climate and rising sea level,” Mr. Layton said.

Mr. Rieley’s apprehension stems from family experience he shared in which his father-in-law was service manager for Suburban Propane in Millsboro and there was a leak that created an enormous fog-like cloud surrounding the entire area. The leak was stopped and fortunately there was no major incident.

“To be in proximity to an elementary school and — even if it is a longshot that it could happen — it honestly gives me some pause,” said Mr. Rieley.

Mr. Parker explained that “propane is heavier than air. Natural gas is lighter than air” and if there even was a small hiccup or leak, “natural gas, being lighter than air, it simply dissipates into the atmosphere.”

As proposed, the project will serve as a receipt point where trucked-in natural gas is injected into the existing pipeline system. The Bridgeville facility will meter, regulate and heat the injected gas before entering existing ESNG pipeline system.

“There is nothing that needs to be done to gas for conditioning purposes for it to be useable by an end user,” Mr. Parker said.

Eastern Shore’s Bridgeville site is 29-plus acres. Of that, the existing compressor station facility encompasses about eight acres, and the interconnect development will utilize approximately four acres, Mr. Parker said.

Above-grade piping would predominantly be about five feet above ground level, Mr. Parker stated. Trucks will enter and hook up to one of the three offload points.

Council majority agreed to conditions attached the planning commission’s recommended approval. Those conditions include:

•the area of this use shall be fenced with a locked access gate, and a means established on the site for use by emergency responders.

•site shall be marked, identifying the owner of the facility and emergency contact information.

•use shall comply with all federal and state requirements governing the use.

•final site pan shall be subject to review and approval of the Sussex County Planning Commission.