Dryden Town Board hears proposed upgrades to Borger Station

Dominion Energy has submitted a proposal to the town of Dryden to add two new turbine compressors and three new microturbines to the Borger Compression Station, as well as upgrade aging and faulty infrastructure. The Borger Compression Station is an already-operating power facility located at 219 Ellis Hollow Creek Rd. in the town of Dryden, operated by Dominion Energy Transmission.

In the proposed upgrades to the Borger Compression Station, Dominion Energy seeks to address issues of ambient noise that spreads to nearby residential areas, as well as to lower the amount of pollutants – in particular, methane – released through the energy facility’s operation.

A public hearing on the project is scheduled for the town board’s Aug. 20 Zoom meeting, according to Ray Burger, director of the Dryden Department of Planning. On March 23, 2020, prior to Dominion Energy’s submission of the application, representatives from Dominion Energy met with town officials to discuss a draft of the proposal, according to Dominion Energy’s Special Use Permit application cover letter.

Two representatives from the project – Don Houser of Dominion Energy and John Munsey from C.T. Male Associates – presented details from the plan at the Dryden town board’s Abstract and Agenda meeting on July 9. The meeting was held over Zoom and was available for public viewing.

“The proposed project is to replace two existing turbines with more efficient units that will essentially reduce air emissions at the borger station,” Munsey said, adding that an oxygen catalyst will be added to a turbine to further reduce emissions.

Currently, the Borger Compression Station is home to two Dresser Clark Model DC 990 turbine compressor units, both of which were installed in 1982. Also at the station is one Solar Taurus Model 70 turbine compressor, installed in 2010, according to a report submitted by principal engineer William E. Biker.

In addition to plans for the added compressors, Dominion Energy proposed to construct three new buildings, for housing equipment. The proposal also includes plans to install new piping and the replacement of an aging boiler.

Additionally, the current fencing will be replaced with dark green vinyl chain link fence, and the lighting system will be replaced with milder, downward-facing Champ FMV LED floodlights, according to documents submitted for Special Use Permits.

The estimated cost of the project is $62,550,000, according to the application submitted to the Town of Dryden Planning Department in May 2020.

The project also includes new technologies to prevent methane leakage – if methane is leaked, an emergency shutdown will be automatically actuated, according to Houser. When asked by Skaley how much methane would be produced through normal operation, Houser responded that those numbers have been predicted, but he did know them himself.

In the past, gas leakage has been a concern for those living near the facility, as excess gases leaked from the station into the atmosphere is a health hazard and requires the notification of those in the area, as reported by Tompkins Weekly in 2018. The area surrounding the Borger Compression Station is primarily residential.

In addition to concerns about gas related hazards, since the project’s proposal, several nearby residents have expressed concern about the ongoing noise of the new turbines, said Jim Skaley, member of the Dryden Town Board.

A February 2020 environmental noise control survey conducted by Dominion Energy showed that continuous sound from the Borger Compression Station is audible from nearby residential properties.

The survey took into account the sound already produced by the three existing microturbines and two station discharge gas coolers and added the predicted sound of the proposed two new compressors.

The survey found that given several noise control measures, two new compressors would not “significantly increase the sound levels” in the studied areas. According to Houser, the decibel limit for ongoing sound from the compression station is 55 decibels.

“We’re very confident that we’re going to achieve that and do even better,” Houser said. “We’re confident that the neighbors out there will have a better quality life, if you would, on the noise issue.”

The noise control measures primarily consist in material sound insulation that will be added to the new compressors.

The buildings in which the compressors are located will also be insulated for sound. According to Houser, in comparison to the older buildings which house the current compressors, the sound insulation of the new compressor buildings will drastically reduce the noise of the compressors that is audible from residential areas.

Because the area of disturbance associated with the proposed construction is more than an acre, Dominion Energy is required to conduct a stormwater pollution prevention plan, which will be reviewed by the town of Dryden, according to Houser.

“We believe there are no adverse environmental impacts associated with the project,” Munsey said.