52 days not long enough for public to review 1,200 pages, she says.
TRENTON -- Assemblywoman Elizabeth Muoio called on federal regulators Thursday to extend the 52-day comment period on PennEast pipeline draft environmental impact statement.
Muoio (D-Mercer) raised issue over whether the regulator's timing of last week's draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) is in the public's interest.
"The Federal Energy Regulatory Committee (FERC) is a government agency which should be protecting the interests of ordinary citizens every bit as much as the powerful gas companies," Muoio said in a statement.
Muoio expressed concerns about the lack of time for the public to review and respond to the nearly 1,200 page report, addressing the environmental impacts of the PennEast's pipeline, compressors and metering stations.
"Many of the affected stakeholders are homeowners, concerned farmers, and their neighbors," said Muoio. "It is hard to imagine that they would have enough time during a season packed with business, agricultural and family obligations to delve into such a report."
"The report seems premature, at best, and released more to satisfy the looming timeline of PennEast and its subscribers than to present a solid evaluation of this massive project, which will permanently alter our environment and landscape," she said.
Wednesday the New Jersey Sierra Club sent a letter to FERC requesting the comment period be extended from 52 days to 120 days, citing similar concerns as Muoio's.
The Sierra Club also requested additional hearings -- one in Lambertville and one in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania -- along the proposed route.
"We believe that it is important for everyone along the route to have the opportunity to come to a hearing and put information on the record," Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, said in a letter to FERC.
Opponents take issue with PennEast report
Muoio also shared the concerns as other groups over there being too many data gaps in the DEIS, calling FERC's issuance "irresponsible and further evidence of a need for federal reforms of the agency."
She cited deficient data in areas such as sparse land surveying and incomplete geotechnical investigations along the 118.8 mile project route.
About 70 percent of landowners along the proposal's route in New Jersey have refused to let the company survey their land. Every municipality in Hunterdon and Mercer counties has passed resolutions opposing the pipeline.
Both counties have banned the company from public land.
Earlier this year, the state assembly passed legislation introduced by Muoio urging the federal government to toughen policies on the approval process of interstate natural gas pipelines.
The legislation (ACR-53) is meant to encourage FERC to fully weigh both the environmental costs of such projects and the use of land acquisition through eminent domain.
Last month Assemblywoman Muoio attended U.S Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman's (D-12th Dist.) announcement of a bill that would add additional guidelines to ensure that FERC was not agreeing to unnecessary projects.
Greg Wright may be reached at gwright@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregTheWright. Find NJ.com on Facebook.