In cooperation with the Westfield Gas and Electric Light Department, City of Westfield, Massachusetts, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), has prepared a Tier 2 Environmental Assessment (EA), as required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, for the proposed replacement of 71,721 linear feet of cast-iron, coated steel, and leak-prone polyethylene pipe to enhance safety, improve operations, and reduce methane emissions.
PHMSA published a Tier 1 Nationwide EA for the Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant Program (NGDISM) on November 9, 2022. The stated purpose of NGDISM is for municipality or community owned utilities to repair, rehabilitate, or replace its natural gas distribution pipeline system or portions thereof or to acquire equipment to (1) reduce incidents and fatalities and (2) avoid economic losses by providing grant opportunities to municipality or community owned utilities. The Tier 1 EA is available at https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/2023-07/Tier-1-PHMSA-2022-0123-0001.pdf.The Tier 2 EA is available for review and comment on the web at https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/about-phmsa/working-phmsa/grants/pipeline/tier-2-site-specific-environmental-documents and a copy is available at WG+E Offices at 100 Elm St. and 40 Turnpike Industrial Rd., Westfield, MA. Please submit all comments to: PHMSABILGrantNEPAComments@dot.gov and reference NGDISM-FY22-EA-2023-23 in your response. Pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act, PHMSA has issued a No Adverse Effect finding which is available for review in the Tier 2 EA. Comments on the Tier 2 EA are due by April 10, 2024.