By: Hollie Hojek
hhojek@kcautv.com
The wind is really the only noise you hear out on South Bluff Road in Homer, Nebraska. But folks are afraid that may soon change if a proposed gas line and compression station gets built in the corn field, right across from people's homes.
Northern Natural Gas Company is looking to build a six and a half mile gas line from Fremont, Nebraska through Dakota County to help with CF Industries' expansion project.
But it's not the gas line that's the problem, it's the potential noise that would come from a nearby compression station.
"I find it totally unacceptable, when there are two-three miles where a pumping station could go in...it does not need to go next to the bluff," said one concerned homeowner at a Dakota County Commissioner meeting Tuesday.
Northern Natural Gas says noise pollution is as much a concern to the company as it is to homeowners. That's why it plans to use a certain type of equipment at the station.
"We do have in the engineering and design of the compression station, noise suppression devices and other techniques and engineering designs that we're going to employ to minimize noise," said Mike Loeffler, spokesman for the company.
Legally, the compression station can be no louder than 55 decibels, which is considered "moderately quiet" under federal law.
"It's about the same noise that's produced by a quiet office," said Loeffler.
But not everyone is convinced. So before this project goes any further, homeowners want to discuss other options, like moving the compression station just a mile up the road, away from the homes.
"It's not that I don't want economic impact in the area. What I do want is to make sure we can do this in a reasonable fashion," said Lowell Beermann, Homer, NE.
Northern Natural Gas does want to hear from homeowners. They're holding a private meeting with landowners this Thursday in Homer.
Public meeting begin in February:
Monday, February 4th-Fremont, NE @ The Gathering Place, Social Hall, 750 N. Clarmar St.
6-8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, February 5th-South Sioux City, NE @ American Legion Hall, 109 E. 19th Street
6-8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, February 6th-Sergeant Bluff, IA @American Legion Hall, 901 Topaz Dr.
6-8:30 p.m.
