Controversy dogs the Algonquin Incremental Market Project nearly six months after construction began. On Sept. 1, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the start of construction on the portion of the natural-gas pipeline near the Indian Point Energy Center, a 2000-MW, two-unit nuclear powerplant 35 miles north of New York City. But a variety of opponents are asking the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to order a construction halt on that part of the line.

FERC issued a permit in March 2015 for Algonquin Gas Transmission LLC, a subsidiary of Spectra Energy Corp., to modify its 1,129-mile system, which runs from north of Philadelphia to Boston. The so-called AIM Project will replace or add a total of 37.4 miles of pipe and add compression at six compressor stations for an estimated total cost of $971.6 million. The spread that passes within a half mile of Entergy Nuclear Inc.'s Indian Point plant will replace 20.1 miles, in three segments, of 26-in.-dia pipe with 42-in. pipe. Henkels & McCoy Inc. is performing that work.

Critics claim the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's recommendation to FERC concerning the pipeline's safety was based on a technically deficient review and say an explosion in the pipeline near Indian Point could trigger a meltdown comparable to the Fukushima plant in Japan. Opponents include Greenpeace, Nuclear Information and Resource Service, Riverkeeper, nuclear energy consultant Paul Blanch and numerous state, county and local officials.

“ Spectra Energy和Algonquin气体传输系统已经在该地区安全运营已有60多年，”利益相关者外展总监Marylee Hanley反驳说。“我们的FERC证书是经过彻底而全面的多年审查后颁发的，其中包括来自众多联邦，州和地方机构以及土地所有者和公众的意见。”她指出，该管道横穿印度角3,935英尺的物业，并于1952年安装。“ FERC环境影响声明发现，该项目的环境影响并不重要，而且大多数是暂时的。”

"Entergy takes no position on the pipeline itself," says spokesman Jerry Nappi. "But because a portion comes across property at Indian Point, we worked with the pipeline owner to add enhanced protective measures, [such as] increasing the thickness of the pipe, burying the pipe deeper and laying concrete protective mats over the pipe in the vicinity of the powerplant. We then commissioned an independent, expert analysis of potential safety impacts which could result from a pipeline failure. The ...analysis determined the pipeline poses no increased risks to safety at the plant, and experts at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission conducted their own independent analysis and reached the same conclusion."

为了解决可能成为棘手的争议，有关科学家的联合建议NRC的反应堆保障咨询委员会审查了核动力装置附近天然气管管道的风险管理。NRC的女发言人说，委员会将在审查所有信件时对批评家作出回应。