The Town of Londonderry continues to wait for a list of abutters to Tennessee Gas’ proposed Northeast Energy Direct (NED) natural gas pipeline.
Kinder Morgan said the energy infrastructure company would release the list of abutters once its application was submitted to the New Hampshire Site Evaluation Commission (SEC).
Cherylann Pierce of Londonderry, a vocal opponent to the pipeline project, has been asking for a list of abutters for almost a year and expressed concern over the summer with Kinder Morgan’s failure to provide the information.
In June, the Town Council directed Town Manager Kevin Smith to request of Kinder Morgan a list of abutters to the proposed pipeline.
Kinder Morgan Public Affairs Consultant Lucas Meyers said the company wouldn’t release the list until title work for the project was complete and they could precisely identify the abutters.
“We don’t want to release confidential information until the research is complete and we know who is there,” he said over the summer. “When the application is formally filed, the list will be provided.”
In late November, Kinder Morgan submitted its application for the NED project with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), as well as its application for a Certificate of Site and Facility with the SEC. The pipeline would carry natural gas from Pennsylvania to Dracut, Mass., passing through Londonderry among other New Hampshire towns.
But it has yet to submit the abutter list to the Town of Londonderry.
Smith said the Town requested the list last week, after it was announced Kinder Morgan had submitted its applications.
“It shouldn’t take too long,” Smith said, noting Kinder Morgan knew the abutter list would be in demand once the application was filed.
When asked if he thinks Kinder Morgan is taking too long to satisfy the Town’s request, Smith said he thinks it’s reasonable to expect it will take about a week, and with the holiday weekend, he would anticipate it would take a little longer for the company to get back to the Town.
“If in a week it’s still being delayed, I will think it’s taking too long,” he said.
Smith said the Town has not at this point scheduled any public meetings to discuss the applications that were filed, and the Town will need to see the abutter list to have productive discussions about the project moving forward.
“Right now it’s still wait and see as we go through the process,” Smith said. “We need to see what properties they are planning on impacting.”
On Dec. 1, Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan, was to hold a public information session in Windham to present information regarding the recent filings.
Tennessee Gas additionally hosted open house events before, and simultaneous to the public information sessions to provide additional opportunity for the public to learn more about the project and ask questions.