Landowners and other area stakeholders impacted by Spectra Energy’s proposed $3 billion Alabama-to-Florida natural gas pipeline talked informally with representatives of the company at a community forum Thursday evening.

Around 30 Spectra employees wearing light-blue polo shirts bearing a Sabal Trail Transmission logo set up at various stations at Albany Technical College’s Kirkland Conference Center and talked one-on-one with a steady group of interested citizens and county officials. Sabal Trail is the name of the 465-mile pipeline that will have the capacity to transport a billion cubic feet of natural gas per day. The initial route of the pipeline takes it through a portion of Dougherty County.

“Our meeting tonight was held to talk about the compressor station that is likely to be located in Dougherty County,” Sabal Trail spokeswoman Andrea Grover said. “We locate them every 100 miles or so along the pipeline to ensure optimal flow of the natural gas. We’re in conversation with Albany officials about an optimal site for a compressor station location here.

“We understand (citizens’) concerns about the compressor station, and we’re here to answer any of their questions. We want to assure them that we follow strict safety guidelines in the operation of these facilities. They’re constantly monitored, and any glitch leads to an immediate shutdown of the station until the problem is discovered and addressed.”

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