Crestwood adjusts Finger Lakes storage facility plans

Click to view a larger version of Crestwood Midstream LP’s adjusted storage facility plans. Infographic courtesy of Crestwood Midstream.

Crestwood agreed to make a number of changes to its proposed Finger Lakes LP gas storage facility in Reading, N.Y.

According to Crestwood, the changes are based on feedback received from local winery owners, homeowners near the lake, environmentalists, elected officials and business and civic leaders who had concerns with the company’s initial proposal.

Crestwood agreed to make the following amendments to its proposed propane storage facility:

• Reduce LP gas storage capacity from 2.1 million barrels to 1.5 million barrels
• Eliminate the storage of butane
• Eliminate one of two small brine ponds
• Only allow for the transport of propane by pipeline, eliminating the transport of it by truck and rail

In addition to those changes, Crestwood plans to provide resources to support community initiatives and monitor Seneca Lake’s water quality, the company says.

Crestwood originally proposed this underground LP gas storage project to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in 2009. The company submitted the listed modifications to DEC Chief Administrative Law Judge James McClymonds on Aug. 8.

“We take seriously the concerns and perceptions of our facilities in the communities we share,” says Bill Gautreaux, chief marketing officer and president of Crestwood Midstream LP’s supply and logistics group. “The changes we announced this week to our Finger Lakes LP gas storage facility demonstrate that commitment. If you combine these changes with the findings of the regulatory experts, you have an energy infrastructure project grounded in science, compromise and community support.”