by Colleen Wilson for Westfair Online

Technology problems and miscommunication impeded an effort by boisterous opponents of a natural gas pipeline project in a conference call last week with a federal agency to discuss recently released documents about the project’s approval.

The call – which was difficult to hear because of a poor connection – was intended to discuss new information related to a petition filed by engineer and nuclear consultant Paul Blanch last year that raised concerns about the proximity of the Algonquin natural gas pipeline to Indian Point Energy Center, the nuclear power plant in Buchanan. Blanch and pipeline opponents have called for the pipeline plan’s approval to be rescinded and for an independent risk assessment, saying there were numerous flaws with the released safety report.

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