Conservation leaders, citizens and elected officials to call for revamp fed's review process.
HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP -- U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman plans to announce Wednesday a bill that will reform the approval process for natural gas pipelines by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
Conservation leaders, citizens groups and a bipartisan group of elected officials are expected to call for the passage of her bill, which would revamp FERC's review process.
FERC is the federal agency that regulates and approves interstate gas pipeline projects.
Assemblywoman Elizabeth Maher Muoio (D-Mercer), as well as elected officials from townships along the PennEast pipeline's proposed route in will also be present with Coleman, (D-12th Dist.)
Both Republicans and Democrats have found common ground for concerns over the growing number of pipelines.
Democrats have largely expressed environmental concerns over the state's increased pipeline infrastructure. Republicans are often opposed to the projects use of eminent domain to secure privately owned land.
The announcement will take place at Baldpate Mountain, a Mercer County park which is located along the proposed route of the PennEast pipeline -- a project currently under FERC review.
That project would install a 36-inch-wide pipeline to transport fracked natural gas approximately 118-miles from the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania to New Jersey's Hunterdon and Mercer counties.
The expert energy analyst company Skipping Stone has suggested that there may be no market need for the PennEast pipeline, in addition to questioning multiple other proposals under FERC review.
Features of the new bill will also include: mandating utility companies demonstrate true market need; increased consideration of the cumulative impacts pipeline infrastructure; full assessments of potential environmental damages and enforcing a more cautious, holistic approach to considering pipeline projects.
Coleman will announce the bill at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Strawberry Hill Mansion's back patio at Baldpate Mountain in the Titusville section of the township.
Greg Wright may be reached at gwright@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregTheWright. Find NJ.com on Facebook.