Date : Fri, 14 Aug 2015 17:09:59 -0400
For Immediate Release
August 14, 2015
Contact Jeff Tittel, 609-558-9100
Video (link below) of Sneak Attack of Pinelands Today
Today at the Pinelands Commission, Executive Director, Nancy Wittenberg said the South Jersey Gas pipeline is now a private development for use in the Pinelands, which exempts it from any action by the Pinelands Commission. Under her ruling, she and the BPU will have the authority to approve or deny the pipeline. This means there will be no public hearing, public input, and the Pinelands Commission does not have a voice or vote on this decision. The video of the decision is now available below. Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club released the following statement:
“ This is the Pearl Harbor of the Pinelands. This was a sneak attack by Wittenberg to push this destructive pipeline through the Pinelands. Under her determination, there will be no public hearing, input, or vote by the Pinelands Commission. Only Wittenberg and the BPU will determine the fate of the Pinelands. Wittenberg is Christie loyalist who has supported the pipeline all along. She is a former lobbyist to the New Jersey Builders Association, whose main purpose to take care of South Jersey Gas and push this pipeline through. Wittenberg has done exactly what the Christie Administration wants which is to promote fracking, destroy the Pinelands, and keep the polluting B.L. England power plant open. This is a sellout of the Pinelands and the Pinelands Act.”
“Wittenberg has taken on the authority herself to usurp the Pinelands Commission’s authority and promote South Jersey Gas’s manipulation and lies. Wittenberg and South Jersey Gas has played around with the facts so they can have it both ways. South Jersey Gas has told the Pinelands Commission that this pipeline is a private development that will only serve the Pinelands. While they’ve told the BPU the pipeline is a public utility for areas outside the Pinelands to the BPU. SJG is saying the electricity is for use within the Pinelands when the power goes into the PJM grid and can go anywhere. South Jersey Gas has changed their story to fit the outcome they want. Wittenberg’s explanation looked exactly like SJG talking points. Even as a private development, she’s trying to get around the inter-agency cooperation with the BPU, so she can even try to manipulate and bend those rules. Wittenberg represents South Jersey Gas, not the people of New Jersey. Her decision is an arrogant abuse of power and violation of Pinelands Act.”
“ Two years ago the same Pinelands Commission staff and Executive Director said this pipeline wasn’t a private development and didn’t meet the needs of the Pinelands. Wittenberg has no new evidence to support her decision that the B.L. England plant or the pipeline is serving the Pinelands. South Jersey Gas ha s told the BPU the pipeline will improve reliability outside of the Pinelands and during bad weather or an emergency the Pinelands would not get the gas. They are saying it’s a public use so they can get ratepayer money to pay for it. Based on that representation alone, it doesn’t meet the definition of private development that Wittenberg now says it does. The pipeline still violates the Compressive Management Plan, and Forest Protection Area, no matter what lies Wittenberg has come up with. South Jersey Gas should still have to go through the Memorandum of Agreement where they were voted down last year. Now they are trying to change the facts and the rules to push this pipeline through. This is a despicable prevision of the Pinelands rules.”
“This decision puts the future of the Pinelands at stake and dismantles 40 years of Pinelands protections. It is not just about the pipeline; it will undo a successful growth management plan. It will threaten a U.N Biosphere Reserve known for its biodiversity. The pipeline would create irreversible harm to wetlands, streams, damaging important open spaces, and threaten our water supply. It will threaten one of the largest sources of fresh drinking water on the east coast.”
“Wittenberg has sold out the environment and the Pinelands for an unnecessary and destructive project. The pipeline would serve the B.L. England plant in Cape May; however PJM has already been modeling for the plant to shut down. There has been 20,000 megawatts of electricity added to the PJM grid in the last four years, which is 50 times this plant. PJM says there are no grid reliability issues and made improvements to the grid. Their analysis does not even consider the falling demand in the Atlantic City area. ”
“Wittenberg is blatantly ignoring the facts and changed the rules of the Pinelands Commission to get the outcome South Jersey Gas wants. She has been pushing this pipeline all along and the rules haven’t changed. Instead of working to protect the Pinelands, Wittenberg is working for South Jersey Gas. Her decision will cause an ugly scar through the Pinelands and create environmental damage along the way. The pipeline will threaten one of the largest sources of drinking water on the east coast. Wittenberg has pushed the pipeline only to protect the Christie Administration, whose interest is to protect gas companies instead of the environment. Wittenberg does the dirty deed for the dirty pipeline.”
“We are going to fight this with all our might; we will take this decision and any approvals of this pipeline to Court.”
To listen the Executive Director's report visit (minute 8): https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=3401&v=I6cIH8Fd_8c
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Jamie Zaccaria Administrative Assistant New Jersey Sierra Club office: (609) 656-7612 https://www.facebook.com/NJSierraClub