ELDRED, NY — Highland residents’ skepticism of a proposed Millennium Pipeline (MP) compressor station on the town’s northern border increased last week with the Deputy Supervisor Jim Gutekunst’s announcement of MP’s “watered down” funding proposal for a health impacts study for the project.

“When [MP] offered funding, we thought it a victory. Then we got a letter…” with the $50,000 figure proposed. Gutekunst said the town is “skeptical of how much can be done [with that amount],” and said the issue would be addressed with Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther.

Resident Carol Roig noted that the MP grant would be made to Sullivan County, which would prepare a request for proposals (RFP) for the study. “We’re all aware that it’s underfunded,” she said.

Others complained that MP would demand approval of the methodology for the study and that the study would not stop the project’s approval and completion clock.

“Corporations normally don’t make decisions until the process is finished, but MP is going full speed ahead,” Gutekunst said.

Gutekunst said he was encouraged by the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s comments on the project’s preliminary federal application. He said the EPA concerns were “the same as ours.”

He also praised opposition presented in a 25-page comment from the Delaware Riverkeeper.

Some 200 comments were received from Highland residents.

Highland’s arguments largely involve the EPA principle of “environmental justice,” which calls for “fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.”

The town argues that the project would have health impacts that should not be foisted on top of Sullivan County population, given the county’s already poor health statistics, next to worst among New York counties.

Resident Stephen Metts has done GPS mapping of those health impacts and says health statistics have deteriorated by 10% since the last census figures. “We have health issues in Sullivan County and these [new] emissions are really serious; tons and tons of toxic chemicals are to be released,” he claimed.

Under Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC) regulations, there is no required buy-out of health-impacted homes, attorney Michael Davidoff said.

“FERC has a lot of power, and they pass it on to the pipeline companies,” Gutekunst said.

Still, Roig said no one should assume MP would get its way. She pointed to the town’s fracking ban, which was eventually upheld by the courts and state, which skeptics said would not happen.

“Look at strategies that have been applied to other industries and apply it,” she advised.