Mar 25, 2013 4 min read

WAYNESBURG – Franklin Township supervisors granted conditional approval Monday to site plans for two projects at Dominion Transmission Inc.’s Crayne compressor station on Route 188.

The supervisors acted on the company’s plans to construct a building to cover pipeline valves and to build a meter station involving several buildings after hearing from two nearby homeowners about noise from the station and the unkempt condition of the company’s property.

Both residents, who live on Kennel Road in Morgan Township, said noise from the station during a blow off is extremely loud.

Linda Keller compared the noise during a blow off with standing next to a 747 airplane about to take off. “The word noise does not describe it,” she said. “It’s horrific.” Keller said the sound can last five minutes or an hour and half.

Dominion is required to conduct a “planned” blow off once a year, apparently as a test, and residents were told they would be notified of the test in advance, she said. Other blow offs occur in emergency situations.

However, Keller said nearby residents have received no notices from the company in advance of a blow off or any explanations afterwards. “They act as if we don’t exist,” she said.

Keller and Kim Tennant, another neighbor, said Dominion also has failed to clean up the property and it is unsightly with trailers, garbage and uprooted trees and shrubs.

Supervisor Reed Kiger said the first time the supervisors heard neighbors had a problem with the station was last week when the plans were reviewed by the township planning commission.

The commission had recommended the valve building be denied approval because of the noise issue, Steve Coss, township code enforcement officer, said.

The company plans to conduct sound tests. However, earlier tests indicated the station was operating in compliance with the township’s noise ordinance, said Joe Linger, land manager for Dominion.

Tennant said the test should not be done during normal operations but when there is a blow off.

Linger said the company wants to be a good neighbor and he believes it is part of the company’s protocol to notify nearby residents in advance of a planned blow off. Some blow offs, however, can’t be predicted.

He also said the company has discussed possibly using silencers to control the noise of blow off as part of its next project at the site.

Linger said he will attempt to address the residents’ issues regarding cleaning up the site. He said trailers had been left at the site by a subcontractor, though that was “no excuse,” and maintaining the property is Dominion’s responsibility. He also said he recently went to the site to clean up trash.

Kiger said the supervisors had met with a company official earlier after hearing about the complaints and the official was “embarrassed” by the situation.

The supervisors asked Linger to make sure notification to surrounding property owners was part of the protocol of a planned blow off. Kiger said he believes now that the company is aware of residents’ concerns he hoped things will get better. He told the residents the supervisors will continue to monitor the situation.

In other action, the supervisors announced the township will hold a cleanup day on May 18. From 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. residents can bring unwanted household items to the municipal building. The township will have several large waste receptacles at the site to accept resident’s unwanted items.

This year, the township has made accommodations so residents can also drop off electronic items, including computers and monitors, televisions, microwaves and cellular telephones.

Certain items cannot be accepted at the cleanup. They include tires and oil. Air conditioning units and refrigerators must be tagged with the Freon removed and no combustible liquids such as paint can be accepted.

The supervisors accepted the low bid for demolishing a house, barn and partial cellar on property that has been condemned at 111 Dulaney Lane, off Sugar Run Road. Scott Reeves submitted the low bid of $7,500.