The Oxford compressor station is an Enbridge owned compressor station that regulates pressure in the Enbridge AGT pipeline. Compressor stations regulate pressure through burning and releasing methane gas. In doing so, they contribute to ozone and PM2.5 pollution, as well as the release of other toxic pollutants. This contributes to negative health impacts, which include increased rates of asthma, other respiratory conditions, and cardiovascular disease, among other impacts. These are especially damaging to children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing conditions.
Oxford was previouosly in a serious ozone non-attainment zone, and is now in a severe non-attainment zone. Because of this, the compressor station will be required to lower their volatile organic compound emissions from 50 tons per year, to 25 tons per year (volatile organic compound emissions from compressor stations have been shown to be associated with higher mortality rates). This revision has opened up an opportunity for public comment (due by September 29th) and a public hearing on Tuesday, October 6th at 10am.
This is our opportunity to demand stricter regulation and air monitoring of this compressor station.
Additionally, it follows a recent accident at the compressor station. Around midnight on Sunday, July 12th, people in Oxford, Middlebury, and Naugatuck were suddenly woken from their sleep by a jet-engine like noise. It continued for almost an hour and residents were not notified of what was happening. We later learned that it was an accidental “blowdown,” a rapid release of methane gas all at once, at the Enbridge owned methane gas pipeline compressor station in Oxford, which was caused by a valve being stuck open. Firefighters who arrived at the compressor station had to wait for a tech from Enbridge to arrive to stop the blowdown. Check out this news story describing the experience of a local resident. As far as we know, following the accident, no information was shared with local residents.
The Connecticut agency that is supposed to be regulating methane gas infrastructure and their accidents is DEEP. However, even in direct communication Sierra Club has had with DEEP, they have shared very limited information regarding how they will follow up with Enbridge to evaluate the impacts of this accident or how to prevent similar accidents from occurring in the future.
This hearing is also our opportunity todemand answers to what happened at the blowdown, and what follow up steps will be taken to protect the community from similar future accidents.
