Compressor stations and Compressor stations and health riskshealth risks

Curtis Nordgaard, MD MScPediatrician

Dorchester MA

There are known knowns...

There are known unknowns...

There are unknown unknowns...

- Donald Rumsfeld

For today:

Basics of how a compressor station works

What pollution comes out of a compressor station?

What are the health risks?

Access Northeast: Expanding the Algonquin Pipeline

Proposed Rehoboth compressor station site

Spectra Energy Partners (Dec 2015). Access Northeast Project, Resource Report 10. Fig 10.9-1, Rehoboth Compressor Station Site (PDF pg 311).

A Solar Taurus compressor

Compressor stations

Compressor stations

Typical compressor station equipment

Compressor engine & turbine

Dehydrator, separator

Condensate storage tank

Gas heater & cooler

Backup generator

Pipeyard

How does a compressor station generate pollution?

Burn gas in compressor

Vent gas (blowdown, shut down, emergency venting)

Leak gas under high pressure system

Vent condensate from tanks

Noise

For today:

Basics of how a compressor station works

What pollution comes out of a compressor station?

What are the health risks?

What comes out of compressor stations?

Definitely

Noise

Nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds (formaldehyde, benzene, etc)

Radon

Likely or possible

Mercury, radioactive lead, chromium, PCBs

Secondary formation

Ozone, particulate matter

Nitrogen oxidesParticulate matterCarbon monoxideVolatile organic compoundsHazardous air pollutants

MethaneVOCsHAPs

RadonLeadMercuryChromium

ToxicCancer causing

ToxicCancer causing

ToxicCancer causing

NoisePollution

Air pollution

Pollutants from burning

Released pollutants

Non-combustible

Compressor station noise: Neighbors' anecdotes

It tends to vent at night

It rattled the dishes in the cupboards

It sounds like a jet engine

One venting event lasted several hours and sounded like a loud jet engine several miles away

Compressor station noise

Rhode Island Department of Health, Energy Facility Siting Board Advisory Opinion, Clear River Energy Center. Sept 12, 2016. P 14.

Compressor station noise

Noise analyses will be in Resource Report 9 of the Access Northeast FERC docket

The background data are prepared by Spectra's consultants*

There are state noise regulations

State noise regulations apply before & after construction

* See Itai Vardi, Twitter & DeSmog Blog

What are VOCs?

Volatile: Airborn

Organic: Carbon based

Compounds: Molecules

Examples:

Methane, ethane, methanol, ethanol, naphthalene, benzene, formaldehyde

Trans-4-methyl-2-pentene

Nitrogen dioxide

ToxicNO

2 + VOC = Ozone, smog

Particulate matter

Organic compounds, metals, ionsDelivery system to the lungsToxic

Estimating Rehoboth station air pollution

Weymouth

Compressor Taurus 60

Horsepower 7,700

Pollution analyses Complete

Air pollution from the Rehoboth compressor station will likely be equal to or greater than

pollution from the Weymouth compressor station

Rehoboth

Taurus 70

10,915

Pending

Burning gas: Toxic air emissions

Spectra Energy Partners (Oct 2015). Atlantic Bridge Project, Resource Report 9. Algonquin Gas Transmission LLC Weymouth Compressor Station Permit Application pg 3-13 (PDF pg 602).

Burning gas: Toxic air emissions

Spectra Energy Partners (Oct 2015). Atlantic Bridge Project, Resource Report 9. Algonquin Gas Transmission LLC Weymouth Compressor Station Permit Application pg 3-13 (PDF pg 602).

Health outcomes associated with pollutants

Nitrogen dioxide: Increased respiratory hospitalizations (2%) 1, heart failure (1.7%) 2

Carbon monoxide: Increased premature birth rates (4%) 3, low birth weight (7%) 3

Particulate matter: Increased fatality from heart and lung disease (5.3%) 4, new childhood asthma diagnoses (10-12%) 5

1. Huang G, et al. (2015). Spat Spatiotemporal Epidemiol, v14-15, 63-74.2. Shah AS, et al. (2013). Lancet, v382,1039-48.3. Stieb DM, et al. (2012). Environ Res, v117, 100-11.4. Samoli E, et al. (2014). Environ Int, v67, 54-61.5. Wendt JK, et al. (2014). Environ Res, v131, 50-8.

Compressor station: tank emissions

Spectra Energy Partners, ibid. (PDF pg 744).

What's in vented gas? Clues from New Bedford

http://www.rtknet.org/db/brs/brs.php?reptype=f&epa_id=MAR000009993&reporting_year=2007&database=brs&detail=3&datype=T

Heavy metals and healthLead

“Behavior and learning problems, lower IQ and hyperactivity, slowed growth, hearing problems, anemia”

Mercury

”Tremors, emotional changes, insomnia, neuromuscular changes (such as weakness, muscle atrophy, twitching), headaches, disturbances in sensations, changes in nerve responses”

Chromium“Shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing” “Abdominal pain, vomiting, and hemorrhage”“May result in complications during pregnancy and childbirth”“Inhaled chromium is a human carcinogen, resulting in an increased

risk of lung cancer”Source: www.epa.gov

Heavy metals in gas

- Gas flowing through Rehoboth reaches New Bedford

- The gas was processed in New Bedford and produced hazardous waste that included lead, mercury, and chromium

- Despite their importance for human health, these pollutants were not reported in or analyzed for the two most recent Algonquin expansions

Hazardous air pollutants from

burning gas

1578 lbs formaldehyde/year X

50% catalytic efficiency =

789 lbs/year

Spectra Energy Partners, ibid. Table B1Ai. (PDF pg 736).

Formaldehyde: Compressor station vs

fracked gas power plant

Weymouth compressor station: 789 lb/yr, at 60 ft stack height

1000MW Fracked gas power plant: 1450 lb/yr, at 200 ft stack height

Invenergy Thermal Development Co. (Oct 2015). Clear River Energy Center, Rhode Island Facility Siting Board Application, pg 33, Table 6.1-2.

For today:

Basics of how a compressor station works

What pollution comes out of a compressor station?

What are the health risks?

Assessing health risks: Types of data

Public health/epidemiology

<<Not available>>

Surveys

Symptoms

Pollution

Change in pollutant concentration

Self-reported symptoms near compressor station

Health surveys of 35 residents within ~1 mile of new compressor station (12,000 hp)

Symptoms:

Respiratory & nosebleeds: 22 of 35

Headaches: 12 of 35

Rash: 10 of 35

Southwest Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project (2015). Summary of Minisink monitoring results. http://www.environmentalhealthproject.org/resources/presentations/

How air pollution disperses

How air pollution disperses

-US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/-EPA IRIS database

Compressor station formaldehyde:

Toxic & Cancer causing

Carcinogen: 0.08 mcg/m3

Toxicity: 10-49 mcg/m3

Toxicity symptoms: Nasal & eye irritation; neurologic effects; Increased asthma, allergies, & eczema; decreased lung function

Formaldehyde concentration near compressor stations

Macey et al. (2014) Environmental Health, v13, 82

PA-4259: 6200 hp Teel Compressor station

Measured Formaldehyde:

at 790m - 61 mcg/m3

Carcinogen: 0.08 mcg/m3

Toxicity: 10-49 mcg/m3

762X Carcinogen threshold1.25-6X Toxicity threshold

~790m radius from proposed site

Particulate matter near a compressor station

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HAC/pha/BrooklynTownship/BrooklynTwnsp_pm2-5_HC_Final_04-22-2016_508.pdf

24-hour particulate matter near station

Regional PM2.5 monitor: 12.3 µg/m3

Local PM2.5 testing: 19 µg/m3

Difference in 24-hr peaks: 6.7 µg/m3

Health outcomes:

~11% Increased risk of stroke1

~7% Increased likelihood of asthma diagnosis2

1. Wellenius, GA, et al. (2012). Arch Intern Med, v172(3): 229-234.2. Wendt JK, et al. (2014). Environ Res, v131, 50-58.

Annual particulate matter near a compressor station

Regional PM2.5 monitor: 10.8 µg/m3

Estimated local annual average: 15-16 µg/m3

EPA and World Health Organization standards:

12 & 10 µg/m3, resp

Health outcomes:

Mortality:

Lung cancer (3.8%), diabetes (6%), heart attack (2.7%), all non-accidental causes (1.1%)

Crouse, DL et al (2015). Env Health Persp, v123(11): 1180-1186.

For today:

Basics of how a compressor station works

What pollution comes out of a compressor station?

What are the health risks?

Safety?

TransCanada St Vincent Nat gas compressor stationMinnesota, Sept 5 2015

“Clean” fracked gas power plants?

Invenergy Thermal Development Co. (Oct 2015). Clear River Energy Center, Rhode Island Facility Siting Board Application.

Howarth RW (2014). Energy Sci Engineering, v2, 47-60.

Fracked gas: A “bridge”...to nowhere

Methane greenhouse effect

CO2

greenhouse effect

A few conclusions

Compressor stations - A health risk

Pollutants - hazardous air pollutants, formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter

Associated illnesses - Cancer; respiratory, cardiac, & neurologic disease, birth outcomes

A few conclusions

Presence of risk is clear

Degree of risk is unclear

We can define what constitutes acceptable degree of risk

For more information:

Citizens Against the Rehoboth Compressor Station

Mass Health Care Providers Against Fracked Gas

- Facebook

- mhcpafg.wordpress.com (preliminary)

Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station