Question about Hilcorp's Central Facility/Compressor Station

There has been an ongoing dispute in Pulaski Twp., PA regarding what Hilcorp terms their "central facility" versus what some think is actually a compressor station being disguised using different terms. Hilcorp has described the central facility as the place where a dehydrator removes water from the natural gas then compressors and fans cool the fans. Is that different than the function of and equipment used in a compressor station? There are some (mostly anti-fracking activists) who believe that Hilcorp is lying to the community by using the term central facility. Can someone help me understand the difference between the two?

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Permalink Reply by Ragnars Repo on December 5, 2014 at 8:59am
Did you ever get an answer for this question?
Permalink Reply by Michelle Hoffman on December 5, 2014 at 9:09am

I did get an answer from a representative of Hilcorp at the last supervisors meeting. A central facility separates gas and oil from water. There are small compressors at those sites to push the gas and/oil into the pipeline after separation but those smaller compressors are not nearly the size nor the amount of compressors necessary at a compression station. The sole function of a compression station is to push the oil and/or gas along a transmission line.

Permalink Reply by Ragnars Repo on December 5, 2014 at 9:18am
Did they give any info on noise level and potential for property devaluation?
Permalink Reply by Michelle Hoffman on December 5, 2014 at 9:49am

As I recall they said the noise level is generally around the 50 decibel range or so. I didn't ask about property devaluation.

Permalink Reply by Ragnars Repo on December 5, 2014 at 9:50am
Thanks Michelle
Permalink Reply by John Smith on May 29, 2015 at 12:34pm

Hey Michelle,

You are giving out false information.Here is a chart of common sounds and their decibel readings.At 50db is about light traffic or inside your home a refrigerator . If you are going to use science and put numbers to things please do not mislead people.   There are many sources to find this out Here is just one...     http://www.noisehelp.com/noise-level-chart.html

Permalink Reply by Ragnars Repo on May 29, 2015 at 2:39pm
50db at what range is the big question.
Permalink Reply by John Smith on May 30, 2015 at 5:13am

That IS a great question.. Is it 50db a mile away or a 1000 feet or maybe 100 feet? Sound dissipates the father you get away from it. WE all know from driving by these sites that they are noisy. Now the question remains. How noisy? I know I would be upset if Chito is right 80-90 db at his doorstep. You can't have that level of noise in a neighborhood 24-7 all days of the week. Pulaski board supervisors made a noise ordnance that uses Db readings but never got a Db meter. Now they have been asked to buy a decibel meter and have refused. I'm not an anti fracker or anti growth or business. I just wants things done right, safe and responsible. I think Pulaski board of supervisors have opened up a can of worms by not doing this right. If done right we could protect our residents from the nuisance factor and collect royalties. But They would have to have thought this out and not put these facilities so close to homes. We could have had our cake and eat it too. But an inept board blew it. Michelle Hoffman even suggested way back that the ordnance be updated to accommodate the oil and gas industry. By not updating it , they have now put this stuff a few hundred feet way from where people live. Did they not think that was going to get someone to complain or file suit? I would have avoided it or fixed the problem before it happened.

Permalink Reply by Ragnars Repo on May 30, 2015 at 5:33am
Exactly. This is not an anti fracking argument. Where hilcorp has cut access up the hill along rte 208 has been a problem for a couple years now. Every time it rains the mud and water collect in deep pools and someone unfamiliar with it is going to be in a serious accident. I have to ask myself, if that was my driveway access causing the situation would the township allow it to continue this long? These are the real concerns of fracking, zoning issues, noise, and neighbors.
Permalink Reply by John Smith on May 30, 2015 at 6:22am

Exactly. We need a governing body in Pulaski that can make these decisions with out just looking at their own pocket books. If done right this could benefit us all. If done wrong it could make this place a miserable place to live. This is not about fracking it is about responsible government. If that was my driveway I would be wondering if it is my liability or the townships?  If someone does get hurt who does it fall on and is it negligence? All things have give and take.  I'm still a firm believer that industry and people can exist in harmony. If we see unintended  consequences we need to fix that. That is called responsible governance.  

Permalink Reply by Ragnars Repo on September 29, 2015 at 11:04am
So here we are. Or should I say hear? Pulaski supervisors have decided a noise ordinance is no longer necessary. How many of you that live in the area have listened to the "50 dB" central facilities? Funny with all the increased tax revenue the past few years that a decibel meter was too expensive to purchase. We are on a slippery slope. It is obvious now that our supervisors have been bought and paid for by Hilcorp. I don't fault Hilcorp, I would be a fool to expect a business not to lay down with local officials. I was a fool to believe local officials would not lay down with them. Perhaps now that there is no noise ordinance I can play a "50 decibel" noise out front of our supervisors homes all day. I'm not a fractivist. I don't believe that fracking is going to give me a third arm or that a compressor station is going to cause me a low frequency nervous breakdown. I do believe that our township has been severely compromised by our lack of leadership or the all mighty dollar. Probably both. I hope that residents in the area can find a common ground. What's occurring now is not right. I lay no claim to my neighbors property and I keep in mind their right to live in peace. I hope we can use this forum to gain some traction to stop this abuse of power. I hope we can have legitimate discussions on the issues facing our community as our oil and gas is extracted. Or I hope that we may all be compensated in a manner that makes us believe we can forego our neighbors rights, a manner that our officials believe they are entitled to.
Permalink Reply by Michelle Hoffman on September 29, 2015 at 12:23pm

Just as an FYI, the former noise ordinance didn't apply to Hilcorp, just like it didn't apply to any other legal business entity in the township. If you had gone to the township meetings leading up to the abolishment of that ordinance you would know that....

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