MarkWest requests 24/7 Robinson work
A pipeline under construction that will crossing Candor Road in Midway on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015.
Compressor station along Candor Road in Midway on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015.
This aerial photo was taken by Bob Donnan on Oct. 31 while in flight over the MarkWest Imperial-Cibus compressor site.
Photo courtesy of Environmental Integrity Project This aerial photo was taken by Bob Donnan on Oct. 31 while in flight over the MarkWest Imperial-Cibus compressor site.
ROBINSON – MarkWest officials are seeking a waiver from Robinson Township supervisors to allow the company to work around the clock for up to four months to finish work on the Sibus natural gas compressor station – one of two compressors – along Quicksilver Road.
The request came from company spokesman Robert McHale at Monday’s regular supervisors’ meeting. A discussion and potential vote on the ordinance waiver is scheduled for Nov. 20 at 3:30 p.m. at the Robinson Township Municipal Building, according to McHale. Robinson Township officials did not return calls for comment.
The waiver is to catch up on work and “get back on schedule,” McHale said, which would include work like welding, X-ray diagnostics, cable laying and wire pulling. But it’s not clear if MarkWest is allowed to conduct that type of work yet. On Oct. 23, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection inspectors issued a work stoppage order to MarkWest after they found the company was conducting work not permitted by the agency.
“Their GP-5 (General Permit) is still pending review. That permit allows them to construct infrastructure that would contribute to or be a consideration of air quality. They can do things like roads, or prepare the site at this point. They can be like a football team-it’s 3rd down and 1 yard to go. They can line up, but they can’t go offsides,” said DEP spokesman John Poister. McHale said work allowed under their ESCGP-2 permit, or a DEP “erosion and sediment control permit,” had been going on to prepare the site.
McHale said the request to work 24/7 “for a finite amount of time, between 90 and 120 days,” is aiming to have the compressor site operational sometime in January. “We don’t believe we’ll need the full allotted time we’re requesting,” he said, “and we understand we’re heading into perhaps not the most conducive time of year to do work. And we’re sensitive to the fact that certain (loud) work shouldn’t take place during sleeping hours. There is only one neighbor immediately adjacent to the property, and that is the Imperial Land Corporation,” McHale said.
Poister said in the meantime more DEP inspectors will be heading back to the site to determine if anything improper had occurred since the issuance of work stoppage, and whether a notice of violation or fine could be levied against MarkWest.
“We’re doing grading, spreading stone. Doing everything we can to get this site ready,” McHale said.