Date : Fri, 7 Apr 2017 14:06:15 -0400
is On
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has released PennEast’s Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). This pipeline would have detrimental effects on the Delaware Valley. The proposed 120-mile PennEast pipeline’s main route would cut through the Delaware River Valley beginning in Dallas Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. It would cross the Delaware River and 254 other major waterways, into to Hopewell Township and connect to an existing pipeline in Pennington, New Jersey.
“In this case, FEIS stands for ‘Fraudulent EIS.’ By releasing the final EIS, FERC has shown they are nothing but a front for the gas industry that they’re supposed to regulate. The entire document is a sham; it does not look at the environmental impacts of this project or the damage it will do to our Valley. The Draft EIS was full of missing and misinformation and the final EIS is just as bad. PennEast didn’t fix any of the flaws of the draft and it is still missing information. They also didn’t include a no-build alternative; the only acceptable one. Over 65% of the route data for New Jersey is still missing. Not only that, but FERC has released the EIS without PennEast first receiving important water quality permits from the DEP, especially the 401Water Quality Certificate. By releasing the EIS without these permits, FERC has broken the rules and clearly sided with pipelines over the people and environment of the Delaware Valley,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “We are in the process of reviewing the EIS and as we get more specific details, we will release a follow-up.”
PennEast Pipeline also does not even have enough information for necessary permits required from NJDEP. The PennEast Pipeline violates the Clean Water Act and cannot meet the criteria for 404 permits. Also, we believe that this pipeline cannot meet the requirement for a 401-water quality permit. The reason is because of the amount of high quality streams, wetlands, and rivers it is crossing through. Many of these streams carry anti-degradation criteria. The route will cut areas with steep slopes having a bigger impact on streams because of siltation and runoff.
“FERC has sold out the public by releasing this incomplete EIS that is missing important information and environmental impacts. The EIS has failed to do a proper analysis. They did not look at a no-build alternative, which is the best choice for the Valley. PennEast doesn’t even have enough information to apply in the first place which makes this a mockery of the whole NEPA process. Over 70 percent of landowners have denied PennEast survey access and said NO to the pipeline. Without this survey access they have not gained enough data for an EIS. Since they don’t have enough information on the pipeline’s potential impacts to the environment and safety concerns, this cannot be considered a proper analysis,” said Jeff Tittel. “Thousands of people have come out against this pipeline and thousands have testified and sent in comments in opposition. Thousands more will continue to fight.”
This pipeline would have detrimental effects on the Delaware Valley. The proposed 120-mile PennEast pipeline would cut through the Delaware River Valley beginning in Dallas Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. It would cross the Delaware River and 254 other major waterways, into to Hopewell Township and connect to an existing pipeline in Pennington, New Jersey. The pipeline would threaten the entire Valley including 91 acres of wetlands and over 44 miles of forest; over 1,600 acres total. This is a serious project that will affect many people on both sides of the river.
“The EIS, even with the tons of holes, makes it clear that this pipeline would be a catastrophe for the environment of the Delaware Valley. The PennEast pipeline will not only our waterways but forests, open space, and farmland. Even worse, pipelines like PennEast will promote fracking; cause water and air pollution, and contribute to climate change. PennEast is part of a system that includes the Garden State Expansion project and Southern Reliability Link pipeline. Pipelines are also a safety hazard to the homes and communities they pass. Natural gas pipelines explode all too often,” said Jeff Tittel. “PennEast would connect to Transco’s Garden State Expansion and New Jersey Natural Gas’s Southern Reliability Link. We won the court case FERC vs. DRN
The PennEast Pipeline violates the Clean Water Act and cannot meet the criteria for 404 permits. The DRBC controls the region within the river basin and manages water quality, withdrawals, droughts, floods, conservation and permitting for the river and its tributaries. The surface water withdrawal and discharge permit that PennEast has applied for to the DRBC would allow them to conduct hydrostatic testing and horizontal directional drilling, which is a method of boring to install underground pipe beneath bodies of water, roads or other environmentally sensitive areas. The DRBC should deny PennEast a docket because their EIS is so incomplete.
“This pipeline will cause a tremendous amount of environmental damage and impact important water resources. Siltation and runoff from the pipeline would destroy high-quality streams and impact the water supply for 7 million people. The Horizontal Drilling ‘cut and cover’ method PennEast has applied for is even worse for the environment. It can lead to an environmental disaster if there’s a heavy storm. We’ve seen it happen before with the Tennessee Gas Pipeline. Heavy rain led to mud slide in West Milford and the whole lake was silted. It will be cutting through areas that are more environmentally sensitive including more open space, historic sites, and parkland,” said Jeff Tittel. “The DRBC has enough regulations in place to protect forests and streams from runoff and destruction that they could severely restrict the process. They have the authority to add enough restrictions so that this pipeline never gets built.”
The PennEast Pipeline would threaten the Delaware Valley’s environment and communities. PennEast has not been able to prove they can get the necessary permits for construction and operation and their EIS is incomplete. The pipeline would damage important waterways, including the Delaware River. The people of the region have not been given the proper amount of time and opportunity to speak out against this project that threatens their homes, safety, and environment.
“PennEast’s EIS is woefully inadequate and FERC should be ashamed for releasing it. It doesn’t have nearly enough information to be considered complete. The EIS does not include secondary or cumulative impacts either. FERC is nothing but a cheerleader for the industry it’s supposed to regulate. PennEast Pipeline would cut an ugly scar through our communities and environmentally sensitive areas and the people of the Valley was deprived of their right to speak out against it in the typical manner!” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “This pipeline clearly violates NEPA, the federal and state Clean Water Act, the Surface Water Quality Standards and the Endangered Species Act. We will challenge FERC support, in court if we have to. We will keep fighting to tell PennEast to stay the FERC out of our valley!
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Jamie Zaccaria Administrative Assistant New Jersey Sierra Club office: (609) 656-7612 https://www.facebook.com/NJSierraClub * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Received on 2017-04-07 11:06:15