South Brunswick Residents Worried About Natural Gas Compressor on Rt. 27

South Brunswick, NJ - An Oklahoma-based energy company wants to build a very large, potentially very noisy natural gas compressor station — very close to many South Brunswick homes.

Tulsa, Oklahoma-based The Williams Companies is looking to construct a 32,000-horsepower station at the intersection of Promenade Blvd and Rt. 27. That land is currently owned by the Trap Rock Quarry. Technically, the property falls under the Franklin Township side of Rt. 27, but the Princeton Walk development sits only 400 feet from the proposed site.

The sound of a compressor station has been compared to four diesel locomotive engines running 24/7, residents wrote on a website launched to fight the plan. Homeowners as far as a mile away can hear the noise, they said. 100 residents already met Thursday night in the Princeton Walk Clubhouse.

"But it's not just the noise in decibels," said Gaurav Tyagi, secretary of the Princeton Walk Homeowners' Association. "In other communities where this has been built, they complain about vibrations from the compressor, and they say they are unable to sleep. They say it's like a truck constantly running in your driveway."

Several meetings Tuesday on the compressor

Princeton Walk will hold another meeting at its club house Monday night at 7:30 p.m. All are invited. The Williams Company is also hosting two open houses Tuesday, June 28, at the Hotel Somerset in Bridgewater. These sessions will be at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., and South Brunswick Mayor Frank Gambatese will be at the 11 a.m. session.

"He is going up to fact-find on the issue and will know more tomorrow night," South Brunswick township spokesman Ron Schmalz told Patch. He said Mayor Gambatese is expected to give a short presentation on what he learned at Tuesday night's Council meeting, held at 7:30 p.m. in the main Council meeting room at 540 Ridge Road.

However, do not expect a formal Q&A-style presentation from the company on Tuesday. Instead, there will be tables set up with company reps. at each table. Residents can walk from table to table and learn more about the proposal. If you want to go, Princeton Walk is running buses that leave from Princeton Walk at 10:15 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. Tuesday.

Another site north in Franklin Township is another option

The Trap Rock Quarry property is one of two options for the compressor station; the company is reportedly looking at another location further north in Franklin Township, in a more rural farming area. After the company gets feedback from the community, it will generate a filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), seeking their approval.

"It's like one bad option and another very bad option," said Tyagi. "Pollution being spewed into the air doesn't care if you are a half mile away or a mile away. This would really be bad news for everybody."

While Princeton Walk would be the most directly affected by the compressor station, Princeton Gate would also be affected. More than 800 homes total sit near the site, and residents from Kingston, Monmouth Junction, Franklin Park, Kendall Park and even as far south as Princeton would be affected, Tyagi said. All homeowners within five miles received letters from Williams two weeks ago, notifying them of the company's intentions. They are now preparing to do battle.

The compressor station is only one part of Williams' plans to expand its existing 10,000–mile long Transco Interstate Pipeline. The company is a major natural gas supplier to New Jersey and New York City.

Photo of residents at the Princeton Walk club house meeting Thursday night/Taken by Azra Baig