Courtesy nj.com and Hunterdon County Democrat:

http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2015/07/nj_conservation_group_kicks_penneast_off_their_lan.html#incart_river

RESOLUTION PROHIBITING SURVEY ACCESS BY PENNEAST PIPELINE COMPANY, LLC.  The resolution was adopted by the Township Committee at its regular meeting held on July 27, 2015.  See:
– Township Survey Resolution
– Announcement of Passage of Resolution

See article from Hopewell Valley News, Thursday, July 30, 2015

Also see link to Hopewell Township Board of Health Hearing from Tuesday evening, July 28 saying an emphatic “NO” to PennEast: http://vp.telvue.com/preview?id=T00986&video=244091.

(This is audio and video.)

GREAT WORK EVERYONE!

If you need to let PennEast know (or remind them) that you don’t allow access to your land, here’s the letter to refuse survey.   Be on the lookout. Surveyors are all over the area and have been cited trespassing.  If surveyors are on your property without your permission, you are within your rights to call the police and file a police report.   refuse survey doc

Pipeline opponents claiming victory

A letter from the DEP has stated the agency does not have enough information to issue permits to PennEast to begin work.
– By Keith Brown, For Times of Trenton
Opponents of the proposed PennEast pipeline are claiming a victory after the state Department of Environmental Protection said it doesn’t have enough information to evaluate the permits needed to build the $1.2 billion natural gas conduit.
Because only about a third of the property owners in the proposed pipeline’s path through Hunterdon and Mercer counties have allowed the company to perform surveys, the DEP doesn’t have enough information to determine which permits PennEast will need, according to a July 2 DEP letter.
“The best way to stop PennEast is to prevent them from getting on your land and getting information for permits and approvals,” New Jersey Sierra Club President Jeff Tittel said in a news release. “By sticking together, not letting them on your property, and not supporting an alternative route, that’s how we can stop this pipeline.”

With preliminary work incomplete, the department is unable to complete a formal review of the proposal, including issuing necessary permits to begin work.
“It does not even make sense for us to review the project with so little access from public and private owners in New Jersey secured at this time,” department spokesman Lawrence Hajna said.
That’s good news to pipeline opponents, who lauded homeowners along the proposed path of the pipeline, which stretches from northeastern Pennsylvania to Hopewell Township.
“This letter from DEP is a major roadblock for PennEast,” Tittel said.
Representatives for PennEast downplayed the DEP’s letter, saying it is merely part of the approval process.
“This is all in line with what PennEast hopes to achieve,’’ Patricia Kornick, spokeswoman for PennEast, said. “Contrary to being a setback, this provides a clear, constructive roadmap for PennEast.’’
The DEP’s letter was sent to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which has final say over the approval of the pipeline. PennEast is in a pre-application stage of the federal approval process. The company plans to make a formal application in the third quarter of this year, Kornick said.
The DEP in its letter said it cannot complete a review of land-use or water-quality permits “if the potential impact surveys and mitigation and restoration plans’’ are incomplete.
PennEast is progressing through an early phase of the application process in which feedback is sought from various agencies and landowners, Kornick said. Based on that feedback, the pipeline route is changing — something that will be difficult to do once a formal application is submitted to FERC.
There have been at least six alterations of the route, according to the company’s website. The most recent route was released in March.
PennEast is now doing surveys on public property and getting permission to survey private properties along the route as well.
“We’re not asking to buy the property,” Kornick said, “we’re asking to learn more about the property.”
She also said that after adjustments were made, half of the pipeline’s total route now fits with existing utility rights-of-way, a significant issue raised by the New Jersey DEP.
PennEast, a consortium of natural gas companies backed by all four natural gas providers in the state, wants to build the 110-mile, 36-inch pipeline from the Marcellus Shale region of Pennsylvania to Hopewell Township.
“Residents along the proposed pipeline continue to stand strong and united against PennEast and will continue to hold the line” said Patty Cronheim, founder Hopewell Township Citizens Against the PennEast Pipeline. “PennEast is failing to gain ground in our communities as we work together to put a big stop sign on this destructive, unwanted project.”
If approved, the pipeline would begin construction in late 2017 and begin operation in early 2018, Kornick said.
This article contains reporting from Steve Novak.

MERCER COUNTY BLOCKS ACCESS TO COUNTY LAND FOR PROPOSED PIPELINE PROJECT
BRIAN M. HUGHES – COUNTY EXECUTIVE DATE: July 20, 2015

TRENTON — Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes today informed officials associated with the proposed PennEast Pipeline Project that the company would no longer have access to lands owned by Mercer County for the purpose of surveying the property to facilitate the project. This decision was reached as a result of the company performing soil borings on Baldpate Mountain, which the county has deemed as potentially environmentally harmful.

PennEast has no legal obligation to consult with the county to access or map public land. But in order to understand the full and possible impact to county parkland, the county believed that granting access to the company to delineate wetlands and to survey would provide the knowledge necessary to wage a battle to protect county open space. In light of the intrusion on numerous ecosystems and news that the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection has been unable to collect enough information to issue permits to PennEast to perform work, the county has blocked further access to its property.

Mercer County first became aware of the proposed PennEast Pipeline Project in fall 2014. Preliminary maps showed the underground gas line bisecting pristine parkland, preserved open space, farmland, woodlands and wetlands throughout Mercer Meadows, including the Rosedale Lake, Equestrian Center, Ecological, and Farm districts.

County Executive Hughes expressed vehement opposition to the proposed pipeline cutting through environmentally sensitive open space purchased with county tax dollars, on the record through a statement issued in October 2014, in a joint resolution with the Board of Chosen Freeholders in November 2014 and in testimony to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in February 2015. (attachments)

As a result of the county urging PennEast to co-locate the proposed gas line with existing utility rights of way, the fragile ecosystems in Mercer Meadows and Rosedale will not be impacted. In fact, the company’s initial proposal to FERC revealed the proposed path would cut through pristine ground including fragile wetlands. Instead, the current proposal being presented to FERC puts more than 85 percent of the pipeline in Mercer County within existing public utility rights of way.

Unless this project receives federal approval, the county will no longer permit any soil borings to occur on Baldpate Mountain. The county is prepared to fight on the behalf of county interests and to fight for the open space it has purchased. The county remains opposed to the pipeline.

GREAT WORK EVERYONE!

If you need to let PennEast know (or remind them) that you don’t allow access to your land, here’s the letter to refuse survey.   Be on the lookout. Surveyors are all over the area and have been cited trespassing.  If surveyors are on your property without your permission, you are within your rights to call the police and file a police report.

RIVERKEEPER YOUTUBE DOCUMENTATION SURVEY DAMAGE IN HUNTERDON COUNTY:

Riverkeeper Video of Survey Damage

Congratulations Kingwood Township Officials for pushing back against PennEast.  Way to stand up for your residents for setting an example of the right way local government should stand up for it’s citizens. Other municipalities in New Jersey — take notice!!

On July 16, 2015 Kingwood Township Mayor, Richard Dodds, Environmental Commission Chair Deborah Kratzer, and Planning Board Chair Maureen Syrnick met with PennEast representatives Andrew Sinclair (UGI), and Jack Herbert (NJR).

PennEast requested a meeting with the township to bring Kingwood up to date with the project.

Mayor Dodds recorded the entire meeting, and the audio file will be available to the public.  It is a 250 MB audio file so we are currently working on creating an efficient way to distribute.

PennEast representatives reviewed the presentation that they used in Delaware Township on June 22.  The presentation summarizes all of the same rhetoric that is available on the PennEast website.  Here is a link to download a copy of their presentation.   https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/87642468/PennEast%20Kingwood%20Meeting%2007-16-15.pdf

After PennEast gave their presentation, Mayor Dodds stated that if the pipeline is approved these are the requirements for Kingwood Township:

1. Monitor all the wells in the Township – not just those on the properties where the proposed pipeline is sited.  The monitoring, conducted for a minimum of 10 years, should consist of pre and post construction depth to water, well capacity, and recharge reports.
2. If any wells are negatively affected by the construction of the pipeline, Kingwood Township requires PennEast to make whole those property owners that are affected, by methods including but not limited to drilling new wells, providing potable water in perpetuity, or fee simple purchase of the property at rates based on the past 10 year high.
3. Monitoring must be done by certified hydrologists who report to the Township and are paid for by PennEast.
4. The same monitoring and making whole should also be done for all septic systems within the township.
5. Any and all streams, stream buffers, wetlands, and wetland buffers must be fully delineated and avoided along the route. Delineations must be done by qualified environmental scientists who report to the Township and are paid for by PennEast.
6. Complete two season studies must be done alone the entire route of the pipeline for all threatened and endangered species. These studies must be done by qualified environmental scientists who report to the Township and are paid for by PennEast.
7. A complete cultural heritage survey must be done alone the entire route of the pipeline.   These studies must be done by qualified historians who report to the Township and are paid for by PennEast.
8. All efforts must be made to eliminate the impact to any and all issues discovered in items 3 thru 5 above including but not limited to the rerouting of the pipeline, underground boring, or other techniques that would eliminate the impact to the given issue.
9. No natural gas pipeline may be places closer than 4000 feet of an occupied structure.
10. The cleared right-of-way be no larger than 50 feet.
11. All Kingwood Township land owners directly impacted by the pipeline must be offered lease options and royalty payments based on the per foot volume of gas that passes through the pipeline on their property.

Below are some highlights of other topics discussed during this meeting with PennEast:

We discussed how negligent Penn East has been in understanding and acknowledging the many environmentally sensitive issues in Kingwood as well as all the NJ townships.  We stated that anyone with even minimal research can easily find far less environmentally damaging routes than the route PennEast has chosen.

Using PennEast’s Maps we pointed to just one area that is clearly forested wetland and stream corridor. After a quick look both PennEast representatives were unsure why they picked that area to go through and said they hoped that someone in their organization has reasons why.

PennEast said in the planning phase they decided to estimate a very high tax fee so they would have enough in their budget for property taxes.  PE’s Jack Herbert said that if it turns out that they overestimated the taxes in Kingwood that they will be happy to just give the township all the extra tax money that they had budgeted.

PE stated they have revised many of the Resource Reports base on comments received.  When asked why we have not seen any revised resource report since April, the PE rep recanted and said that maybe they just revised comments in the reports and not the full reports.  He promised to send us the most up-to-date info ASAP.

In addition:
PE stated they intend to bury the Pipe 5’ deep instead of 3 feet.

PE mentioned potentially putting up a fence around the pipeline if there are some sections that pose a threat.

PE mentioned they planned on narrowing the construction row in select places to minimize environmental damage.

Mayor Dodds asked if their surveyors have been on property private property without permission. PE responded that should not happen.  Sometimes there are mistakes.  The will provide supervisor phone numbers so that citizens’ can call and report any incidents.

PE’s revised date to file with FERC in mid to late September 2015.

Mayor Dodds made it clear to PennEast that no one in Kingwood Township wants their pipeline built!

READ THE ENTIRE NJ DEP COMMENT TO FERC

NJDEP FERC comment 7.14.15.tiff

Our efforts to stop PennEast from having access to and surveying our lands is working!  The NJ Department of Environmental Protection is stating that they CAN’T issues permits to PennEast if they don’t complete the surveys!

Only 33% of NJ land has allowed survey. We are standing together against PennEast.

GREAT WORK EVERYONE!  HOLD THE LINE!  SAY “NO!” TO SURVEYING!

If you need to let PennEast know (or remind them) that you don’t allow access to your land, here’s the letter to refuse survey.   Be on the lookout. Surveyors are all over the area and have been cited trespassing.  If surveyors are on your property without your permission, you are within your rights to call the police and file a police report.

Rescind_permission_to_survey_letter

In the meantime, keep reading….

Local landowner takes FERC to task over safety

Princeton-Montgomery Transco Pipeline

This is what building a pipeline in your backyard looks like!  Click on photos to view destruction in full screen mode. And, no — these are not “photoshoped” photos.  This is the real thing.

Your support is needed!
Thursday, July 23 @7:00pm
Where: Prallsville Mill in Stockton

Landowners rights meeting July 23rd  Prallsmill House (RSVP by July 21st*)

NJCF & Delaware Riverkeeper Network holding meeting to discuss landowner rights.  An attorney will be present to answer general questions.

* RSVP to alix@njconservation.org by July 21st

Note: Surveyors have been spotted throughout Delaware and other neighboring townships.  Consider attending the landowners rights meeting to make you better prepared even if you are not directly impacted by the known proposed routes. Inform your neighbors.

August 22, 2015
March Against the Pipeline

The many townships and organizations in NJ and PA impacted by the pipeline and under the leadership of The Clean Air Council, The Delaware River Keeper, and  Berks Gas Truth are organizing a rally and march across the Delaware River on August 22, 2015.  March will begin in Upper Black Eddy, Pa over DE River Bridge into Milford, NJ. We are expecting to have a large turnout including media coverage.  However, we need your help in making event a reality.

To the editor — Hunterdon County Democrat, June 25 ,2015

To the editor:

Last week PennEast held a private meeting with the NJ State Agricultural Development Committee. PennEast reportedly used this meeting to convince officials to try to talk landowners into granting PennEast survey access.

To facilitate this, PennEast dangled big money over the committee’s heads. They indicated that for preserved farmlands, 50- to 80-percent of the easement money would go directly to the SADC. PennEast then sweetened the pot for the SADC by offering to value the land at un-preserved levels, which fetches significantly higher prices in the market than preserved land does.

The SADC fell for this offer eagerly and is now rushing to setup meetings with preserved landowners to convince them to grant survey access as soon as possible.

There are two really big problems with this. First, the SADC is an agriculture committee. Should we change it’s name to the State Pipeline Development Committee instead?

Second, this sends a message to NJ farmers to not preserve their farms and to not trust the SADC.  Why go through the pain of conservation just to have the SADC sell you out?

Stay strong landowners. PennEast is panicking because they have only 33-percent survey permission in NJ. Let’s keep it that way.

Michael Spille
West Amwell

Dear friends,

Thanks to those of you who signed our petition to the Delaware River Basin Commission calling for seven public hearings along the proposed PennEast route.

Thanks and apologies to those of you who had trouble with the link and let us know.

We need to get the petition to the printer first thing Monday morning, so please help us get as many signatures as possible this weekend.

To make things easier all around, we’ve created a MoveOn version of the petition that should eliminate any problems with the link.

http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/come-to-me-drbc?mailing_id=29626&source=s.icn.em.cr&r_by=12538053

Please help us send a strong message to the DRBC that a two-minute comment at one joint DRBC/FERC public hearing is not nearly adequate for you to share your concerns!

Thank you!
Karen Feridun, Berks Gas Truth
Concerned Citizens Against the Pipeline