One New Jersey resident has applauded the New Jersey and federal agencies that have registered concern about the proposed PennEast Pipeline.
To the editor:
For two years, residents and concerned citizens have been fighting against the controversial PennEast Pipeline project. And, at times, it's felt like our government has abandoned us and left us to fight this project by ourselves.
But on Sept. 12, something truly remarkable happened. The twelfth was the deadline to comment to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on its assessment of project.
And many local, state and federal agencies, as well as companies, did so - and along the way slammed the project as shoddy, unnecessary and unwanted.
PennEast fails to show pipeline needed, N.J. group says
- The federal Environmental Protection Agency officially rejected the proposal with "Environmental Objections" and determined that it was factually incomplete.
- The National Park Service objected strenuously to its concerns about the Appalachian Trail being ignored.
- The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service pointed out numerous issues with endangered species and pointed out botched surveys.
- The New Jersey Rate Counsel blasted PennEast as unnecessary, and stated the owners of were seeking to cheat NJ consumers.
- The state Department of Environmental Protection documented dozens of pages of factual errors and mistakes.
- The State Agricultural Development Committee complained that their preserved land was being targeted by the company.
- Both SUEZ NJ Water (in charge of Lambertville's drinking water systems) and the Rosemont Water Company documented severe threats to local water supplies.
I applaud these entities and agencies, and I am gratified to see our governing bodies banding together to try to stop PennEast, and to reign in the rogue agency called FERC.
Mike Spille
West Amwell