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Discussion of the Columbia Gas and Tennessee Gas Pipeline projects continued during the monthly meeting of the Pike County Conservation District on July 18.
The Tennessee Gas Pipeline project is considered the 300 Line Project. The plan is to increase the capacity of the 300 line to transport new diversified natural gas supplies, including newly accessed Appalachian and Marcellus shale gas to serve the growing demand for interstate natural gas transmission service in the northeastern part of the United States.
Seven looping segments in Pennsylvania and New Jersey totaling approximately 127 miles of 30 inch pipeline are being created. In Pike County the 300 Line is supposed to pass Lackawaxen, Milford, Shohola, and Westfall Township communities. During the meeting there was mention that the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company wants to make an alternative route, known as the Northeast Upgrade. Susan Beecher, Executive Director of the Pike County Conservation District, says this alternate route could be real damaging and isn’t environmentally sound.
The existing pipeline has been in Pike County for many years now. The 300 Line is currently going on, and the Northeast Upgrade is meant to be a continuation of the current line. The idea is to have two parallel pipelines going through the county.
“The area where the pipeline passes through the Delaware River and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area isn’t wide enough for the new pipeline,” explains Beecher. “The Tennessee Gas Company is proposing a new Pike County pipeline to pass off the current right of way and go several miles from Milford to Matamoras.”
Beecher adds that the Northeast Upgrade would cross the Delaware River at a different place and loop back around to be parallel again with the other pipeline. The Tennessee Gas Company wants to make this alternate route to avoid problems and a lengthy approval process with the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The Pike County Conservation District is trying to get the federal legislatures involved because of the impact the alternate route could have. So far the federal legislatures haven’t responded to letters.
“Issues regarding the Columbia Gas and Tennessee Gas Pipeline projects have been around since day one,” Beecher explains. At the meeting it was found that more issues surround the Columbia Gas project, however.
Beecher started the discussion by saying that the Columbia project is far along in Pike County, but it didn’t take her long to jump into the negatives and complaints coming in about the project. Since May there have been several inspection reports and most of them showed violations of what is actually supposed to be going on. Beecher provided a slideshow with pictures of some of those violations, and mentions of complaints that have come through.
Repeated violations include a failure to implement effective E & S Best Management Practices, site conditions present potential pollution in waters of the Commonwealth, and sediment and other pollutants discharged in the waters. Other issues include wetland crossings tracked with mud, compost filter socks not always installed properly, at least two inches in sediment deposits discharged, rock construction entrances not installed per the plan, and dewatering facilities not maintained, with one overflowing and the other not being used.
“I know they can do the job right,” says Beecher. “But I don’t feel like they’ll do it right unless we are watching.”
Discussion was also made regarding possible penalties that can be set for these violations. The penalties would be for the clean water fund. Solutions to the problem have not been found yet.
The next meeting of the Pike County Conservation District will be on Monday August 15 at 9 a.m.
Discussion of the Columbia Gas and Tennessee Gas Pipeline projects continued during the monthly meeting of the Pike County Conservation District on July 18.
The Tennessee Gas Pipeline project is considered the 300 Line Project. The plan is to increase the capacity of the 300 line to transport new diversified natural gas supplies, including newly accessed Appalachian and Marcellus shale gas to serve the growing demand for interstate natural gas transmission service in the northeastern part of the United States.
Seven looping segments in Pennsylvania and New Jersey totaling approximately 127 miles of 30 inch pipeline are being created. In Pike County the 300 Line is supposed to pass Lackawaxen, Milford, Shohola, and Westfall Township communities. During the meeting there was mention that the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company wants to make an alternative route, known as the Northeast Upgrade. Susan Beecher, Executive Director of the Pike County Conservation District, says this alternate route could be real damaging and isn’t environmentally sound.
The existing pipeline has been in Pike County for many years now. The 300 Line is currently going on, and the Northeast Upgrade is meant to be a continuation of the current line. The idea is to have two parallel pipelines going through the county.
“The area where the pipeline passes through the Delaware River and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area isn’t wide enough for the new pipeline,” explains Beecher. “The Tennessee Gas Company is proposing a new Pike County pipeline to pass off the current right of way and go several miles from Milford to Matamoras.”
Beecher adds that the Northeast Upgrade would cross the Delaware River at a different place and loop back around to be parallel again with the other pipeline. The Tennessee Gas Company wants to make this alternate route to avoid problems and a lengthy approval process with the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The Pike County Conservation District is trying to get the federal legislatures involved because of the impact the alternate route could have. So far the federal legislatures haven’t responded to letters.
“Issues regarding the Columbia Gas and Tennessee Gas Pipeline projects have been around since day one,” Beecher explains. At the meeting it was found that more issues surround the Columbia Gas project, however.
Beecher started the discussion by saying that the Columbia project is far along in Pike County, but it didn’t take her long to jump into the negatives and complaints coming in about the project. Since May there have been several inspection reports and most of them showed violations of what is actually supposed to be going on. Beecher provided a slideshow with pictures of some of those violations, and mentions of complaints that have come through.
Repeated violations include a failure to implement effective E & S Best Management Practices, site conditions present potential pollution in waters of the Commonwealth, and sediment and other pollutants discharged in the waters. Other issues include wetland crossings tracked with mud, compost filter socks not always installed properly, at least two inches in sediment deposits discharged, rock construction entrances not installed per the plan, and dewatering facilities not maintained, with one overflowing and the other not being used.
“I know they can do the job right,” says Beecher. “But I don’t feel like they’ll do it right unless we are watching.”
Discussion was also made regarding possible penalties that can be set for these violations. The penalties would be for the clean water fund. Solutions to the problem have not been found yet.
The next meeting of the Pike County Conservation District will be on Monday August 15 at 9 a.m.
