*/For Immediate Release/*
April 16, 2012 Contact:Jeff Tittel, 609-558-9100
*Spectra Pipeline Targets Liberty State Park *
//Monday the DEP will hold a public hearing on the proposal by Spectra to take our public land in Liberty State Park to increase their gas pipeline infrastructure across the state.Liberty is the most visited State Park in the nation.The Spectra pipeline will go through some of the most densely populated parts of New Jersey- Bayonne, Jersey City and off the shore of Hoboken into New York City.Our public lands are precious, especially in such a heavily populated area, and must not be diverted for dirty fossil fuel projects. Liberty State Park belongs to all of us and is held in the public trust.This project takes the side of special interests over the protection of our public lands.
"This pipeline is not only a threat to the people of Hudson County, it is a threat to our public lands.Allowing this diversion for an unnecessary gas pipeline violates the public trust.We would never put a pipeline in Yellowstone or Yosemite, why are we doing it here?" *asked Jeff Tittel, Director, NJ Sierra Club.* The Sierra Club is concerned that the DEP is already considering diversion of public lands before the project has received federal approvals and all possible alternative routes have been analyzed. There needs to be a needs assessment as natural gas demand as natural gas demand and prices drop.Suppliers in the Marcellus Shale region have announced they will cut production in 2012.
"Liberty State Park was purchased to be held in the public trust for the public good and this project violates the public trust by allowing these preserved lands to be destroyed.With this deal, the DEP is permitting our most heavily visited public lands to be impacted with pollution," *said Jeff Tittel*. Spectra will be offering the state about $860,000 for a twenty year lease to divert about 1 acre of land, but there will be permanent impacts to our public lands from this unneeded project.Spectra cannot adequately mitigate for the loss of public access in one of our most heavily visited parks. The proposed route also goes through some of the most heavily industrialized areas of the region, putting people in this region at risk. This area is already burdened with excessive pollution adding more pollution will greatly affect the public health and the environment of this community.Along with toxic contamination the construction of the pipeline will impact freshwater wetlands, water bodies, and other environmental sensitive areas. Placing a pipeline in such densely populated areas increases the risk of exposure to hazardous air pollutants along with the risk of a possible disaster putting lives of the residents in these communities in danger.More air pollution caused by venting compressing and pumping stations releasing methane and other pollutants will impact these communities.
"Not only is this pipeline not needed but we are concerned that air pollution from it and the toxins being released during construction will further put people at risk in these communities. We have seen pipeline in San Bruno, California, Belingham, Washington, and Edison, New Jersey explode destroying lives and property. This natural gas pipeline is putting people of New Jersey at risk including visitors to our state parks. It is not worth the risk," *said Jeff Tittel.* This project puts a bullseye on New Jersey's open space and Spectra must not be allowed to divert and pollute our public land.Instead the company should propose alternative routes that avoid our public open spaces.All alternatives that protect the public trust must be examined by the DEP before the company is allowed to divert public lands.Under current state regulations, it's cheaper to put the pipeline on public property rather than private land and Spectra is taking advantage of that.
"The DEP should deny these diversion requests and tell Spectra to go back to the drawing board and outline a route that does not violate the public trust by destroying the resources of our public lands.The DEP must not allow this company to destroy our public land while offering us little in compensation," *said Jeff Tittel*. DEP notice on the public hearing is attached
-- Kate Millsaps Program Assistant NJ Chapter of the Sierra Club 609-656-7612
- Download full text: Spectra_LSP_Green_Acres_Public_Meeting_Notice-1.pdf