MONTICELLO, NY — The Sullivan County Legislature will consider a resolution opposing a natural gas compressor station in the Town of Highland at a meeting on February 18. Judging from the discussion at a meeting of the Health and Family Services Committee on February 11, it seems possible the resolution will pass. The legislature, however, did issue a statement on February 12 saying “The Sullivan County Legislature has not taken a position either in support or against the proposed compressor station at this time.”

At the February 11 meeting, committee chair Nadia Rajsz called on Larysa Dyrszka, MD, who lives in the Town of Bethel not far from the proposed compressor, for a brief presentation about the health impacts of compressor stations. Dyrszka has been involved in a study of the health impacts of the compressor station in the Town of Minisink in Orange County; the study was completed in March 2015 by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project.

Dyrszka said the study showed that there were spikes in the amount of fine particulate matter associated with the compressor, and that government studies of the issue don’t measure spikes. The immediate results of the spikes were headaches, skin rashes and respiratory problems, especially among people with underlying conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Dyrszka said possible long-term impacts such as cancer were not seen because cancer takes 10 to 20 years to develop, and the Minisink compressor station has only been in operation since 2013.

Opponents of the Highland compressor are asking for a “complete health impact assessment” similar to the environmental impact statements that are created for infrastructure projects in New York State.

Tusten resident Star Hesse said, “The Medical Society of the State of New York and the American Medical Association have now said that health impacts should be studied for all infrastructure, because they’ve looked at the data.” She said government agencies have not kept pace with all of the emerging studies and information on the topic.

Hesse said those opposed would also be asking that an electric compressor be installed at the station, as opposed to one powered by natural gas or diesel fuel, because an electric compressor would result in fewer emissions. (This was a request that was also made of a compressor project in Milford, PA, on a different pipeline. The company denied the request, and a regulatory body ruled in January that a lawsuit against the pipeline company over the issue could move forward.)

Summary of Health Impacts from the Minisink Compressor Station as compiled by the Southwest Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project (EHP)

“EHP collected health information from 35 individuals, 12 of whom are children. A medical professional collected the data. Symptoms that developed after the potential exposure period (beginning summer 2013) or worsening pre-existing symptoms without a more plausible cause were reviewed. The health findings are consistent with information from other research reported in peer-reviewed literature and by other environmental health organizations. The predominant health impacts reported were:

• Respiratory problems (22, includes 6 experiencing nosebleeds)

• Neurological problems, (12, all of whom report headaches)

• Dermatological problems (10, skin rashes)

• Overall physical health self‐assessments, when compared to a national standard (SF36), are below normal for 2 out of the 8 individuals who completed the SF36. Overall mental health and wellbeing levels were below normal for half of the respondents.