In a letter to the chief of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), two Missouri members of Congress urged approval of the Spire STL Pipeline, which supplies gas to the St. Louis region.
“Shutting down the Spire STL pipeline would have a devastating effect on the local communities in and surrounding the St. Louis area during the cold winter months,” wrote Republican Congress members Blaine Luetkemeyer and Ann Wagner in the Aug. 24 correspondence.
FERC Chairman Richard Glick is considering whether to approve Spire’s application for a Temporary Emergency or Limited Term certificate, according to media reports.
“A scenario in which the STL pipeline is mandated to shut down would immediately increase the odds of severe and catastrophic impacts to vulnerable populations in the St. Louis area while still battling the effects of the coronavirus pandemic,” the letter states. “The STL pipeline provides benefits to homes, businesses, and the economy by ensuring diversity and reliability of natural gas.”
As previously reported, after an unusually harsh cold front in February, the City of New Haven, in Franklin County, discovered it owed $700,000 to the town’s gas supplier.
“This pipeline has been in operation now for two years and shutting it down does not seem to make sense,” said Tim Otten, a New Haven alderman. “Generally, I would be supportive of what they're trying to do in keeping this pipeline open, particularly in light of what we saw happen in February.”
The Missouri Times reported that the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) filed a lawsuit against FERC, Spire, and the pipeline after a Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN) had been issued.
“They're trying to argue that there are some environmental issues at risk and not to needlessly put in pipelines but from our experience, we do need these pipelines,” Otten told the St. Louis Record. “The Environmental Defense Fund feels that not everything was done properly and by filing this lawsuit, we're reviewing what was done but, at this point, the pipeline is in and it's operating safely. The February catastrophe that happened is a fine example of why this pipeline should stay in place.”
The 65-mile long pipeline is shared in Missouri and Illinois, according to Spire Energy’s website.
“We are constantly monitoring the pipeline and testing the steel so they are monitored real close," Otten said in an interview. "I think they're better for the environment than pretty much anything out there because solar and wind power requires so much energy to manufacture the parts and then in 20 years, those parts are bad and you've got to remanufacture whereas these steel pipelines, and they keep coming up with better pipelines, might last 50 years before you have to replace them.”