One of our fierce fighters in the war against PennEast has submitted a detailed comment to FERC about the continuing behavior conducted on behalf of the pipeline company.
http://elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/file_list.asp?accession_num=20160119-5032
“I am writing to express a great deal of concern over PennEasts proposed crossing of
my home. They have out right lied when stating in documents to FERC that they are not
within 150 feet of any well. The line is about 110 feet from my well that supplies water to
my 3 young children and I, our farm animals and our organic farm. The proposed line
crosses a C1 stream onto my property, goes straight through a series of ever growing
sink holes and springs, on the bank of a spring fed pond and through a wetland buffer.
All this is information easily obtained through the vast low(300-500’ over my home)aerial
surveying conducted by PennEast over the last 5 month with planes and helicopters,
which occurred nonstop 7 days of the week form sun up to sun down, with only the
exception of Thanksgiving day. This information is also available through research of
NJDEP maps, which show my property as being entirely wetlands. My property in fact
looks like an oasis of wetlands in an area of dry land, so I am baffled as to why
PennEast would aim straight for it.
I called to ask Jeff England that very question and he first said he thought it was for
environmental reasons, however with a little research he later phoned back to say they
were avoiding a neighbor’s federally preserved farm and wetlands. When I reported that
my lands were entirely wetlands he said not according to his map. When I mentioned
how close he was to my well, he said they were unaware of that as well. He seemed to
have little concern for any of these issues. He offered to have a representative come out
and educate me on the pipeline, which I found insulting especially after he admitted that
the safety shutoff valves would likely be more than 10 miles apart because there were
fewer people where I live. I told him I love my children just as much as the mothers in
the city and their life was no less valuable than a child in a city. Again no response. We
had the same exchange over PennEasts choice to go with the weakest pipe possible.
The rushed building of pipelines in this country has lead to an increase in leaks,
explosions and illness. January 7, 2016 the BBC reports that Governor Jerry Brown
declared a state of emergency in Porter Ranch, a suburb of Los Angeles, California.
More than 2,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, many feeling ill. 6,500
have applied for help and health officials are saying long term effect from exposure to
methane gas are unknown. The leak started in October and has yet to be mitigated.
The article states,”Gas is spewing into the atmosphere at a rate so fast that the well
now accounts for about a quarter of the state’s total emissions of methane- an
extremely potent greenhouse gas.”
The article talks about methane gas being a short lived pollutant that stays in our
atmosphere a relatively short period of time, however cautions with a quote from the
California Air Resources Boar, “when measured in terms of how they heat the
atmosphere, their impacts can be tens, hundreds, or even thousands of times greater
than that of carbon dioxide.”
SoCal Gas says it could be March before the leak is fixed, that is nearly half a year of
displacement, unknown side effects, drop in property values for the citizens of Porter
Ranch. The article ends with a quote from Ms. Paula Cracium, President of the Porter
Ranch Neighborhood Council, “The stain of this disaster is going to be felt for a long
time”. This does not bode well for PennEast and their hurry to push their pipe through
without proper studies and review, weakest pipe allowable, safety valves placed as far
apart as possible with no regard for the safety of the families who live in New Jersey.
I went on to tell him his planes were flying over my twin boys entire 3rd grade class
playing on a mound of hay while their parents watched while a plane flew 300 feet over
them repeatedly. This is illegal, dangerous and irresponsible. My 9 year old twins had to
explain that they did this all the time, because we won’t let them on our land. I had to
explain this to the parents who were horrified. This was reported to the FAA, who told
me this nonstop flying is referred to as a “nuisance operation” and they take it seriously.
I know my property rights and I have refused to allow PennEast on my small organic
farm, to drill through the heavy stone releasing arsenic into my water and the aquifer
that supplies water to Delaware Township and Stockton, to take away my farmland
assessment, to jeopardize my and my children’s health with ruining air quality
increasing our asthmatic episodes, taking away our ability to safely play and enjoy our
home with friends. I will lose money from farming and painting in my studio. No one
wants to visit a house that could blow up leaving only a vast crater behind. So why
would I want to cooperate with a lying corporation to ruin my home, my community and
my children’s future?
The stress PennEast has caused my children and I in the last 5 months alone is worthy
of a law suit. The continual flying vibrating my metal roof has led to stomach and
intestinal problems documented by several doctors. I ended up in the hospital with
internal bleeding as a result. My children fear retaliation from PennEast as signs get
stolen and vandalized on the actual line crossing on our property, a chain locking our
gate cut and stolen, and trespassing with the use of an uninformed local cop paid for
hire. I asked Jeff England why they would hire a local police officer and he said,
“Sometimes people video tape the surveyors…” He said they don’t like when that
happens and the surveyors need protection.
I asked Mr England, “From what? What have we ever done to you?” He had nothing to
say. I also asked him why they were trespassing on my property that day as I had sent 3
certified letters with return receipts to PennEast and UGI, so I have proof they were
received. He responded he saw that they received them as my property was highlighted
in red on his computer, which meant denied access. When I asked why they had not
sent me a letter stating they had received my letters and would not trespass as they had
with my ex-husband he had nothing to offer. PennEast stood on my property with a local
police officer standing next to them with absolutely no warning. My 9 year old son was
home sick that day and had to witness me nearly have a nervous breakdown as I called
an on duty cop to file a report and neighbors flocked to my aid. This is not something
anybody should endure, especially a child. I asked Mr. England why not hire a private
firm for “protection”, if they wanted to have good relations with our town and he said
they had in the past. This leads me to believe it is another example of the so many ways
PennEast bullies us and tries to divide us to their advantage. Because of this amazing
community, that has not happened. All these tactics have made us stronger, more
unified and more determined. Any survey information submitted by PennEast for my
property was obtained illegally. I have denied access and will continue to do so.
November 3, 2015 on election night at 10:00pm, a helicopter hovered over the houses
on the line in Delaware Township for 10-15 minutes each. They looked to be 200 feet
high and shook our house scaring my children from their beds. I called the police and a
reporter who witnessed this and filed a report. My children went to sleep trembling and
feeling threatened. It took me until 11:00pm to get them to sleep on a school night.
Unbelievable. I am afraid to ask what is next, because PennEast has lied, denied and
bullied us in ways that seem so unAmerican that it leaves me questioning the system I
was taught was suppose to be diplomatic and fare. PennEast hasn’t responded
adequately to the citizen’s of New Jersey’s responses to FERC. I hope FERC will have
PennEast answer our questions. PennEast has told Delaware Township Board of Health
they would not come to a meeting addressing health concerns, in fact they are not
attending any town council meetings. They act as if they filing with FERC is a done deal
and they don’t have to put any effort into it. To them it doesn’t matter if they call the
Delaware River the Hudson, If they supply you with survey information of the wrong
quarry and out right lie about their practices and intentions. They don’t hesitate to
submit maps with trees missing, let alone buildings and fences.
On January 13th, 2016 at 8:15am I saw a man in a truck marked USCI with Texas
plates driving back and forth on the pipeline route on Sergeantsville Road, Stockton, NJ.
The truck made illegal u turns and drove into driveways to turn around, which is illegal. I
had to take my children to school, when I returned I saw it was still there so I followed it
for a mile and a half. It pulled over and a man about 6’4” got out and asked with the why
I was following him. I stayed in my car with the window cracked and said I wanted to
know what he was doing. He said he was “working for a pipeline company.” I asked
which one and he said he would not tell me. Later when I went to file a police report with
Sgt. Elliot Grey of the Delaware Township Police Department, he told me that he pulled
him over just before I followed him after witnessing him driving back and forth and
turning in driveways. He asked to see the man’s work ID when he said he was
surveying and the man said he had none. Sgt. Grey asked for his work order papers
and he said he didn’t have those either. Sgt. Grey told him this was illegal surveying and
he would have to leave. The man then said he was working for the state through NJ Dig
to locate pipes for excavation to be done and showed him the order on his computer,
which stated UGI ordered surveying on Worman Road(where I live), Sergeantsville
Road and Sandy Ridge. UGI and PennEast have been informed by Delaware Township
that they were not to survey on our roads as it is illegal, yet they still did it and with
someone who has no work ID or proper papers, who gave me and the police two
different stories. When photos of this truck were posted my neighbor said this truck with
a surveyor came to their property on January 4th, 2016 and said he was part of the
crew putting solar on their roof. This was a lie and further trespassing. PennEast is
breaking the law and lying continually. Again, any survey information you are receiving
from my property at 112 Worman Road, Stockton, NJ has been obtained illegally and
should not be accepted.
The money and time to protect myself from these people and their unscrupulous ways
has been substantial, however with our future and lives at stake I have no other choice
than to fight this with everything I have got. I will not lay down and let PennEast destroy
me, my children, my community or my state. I am not alone, rather I am part of a
growing majority. I am asking FERC to review this rushed application carefully, as it is
severely flawed, shows no need, will only provide 12 jobs at best in the state of New
Jersey, does not benefit the public in anyway. Instead it costs us money(Insurance
increases, loss of property value, loss of property income, loss of tourism and business)
and threatens our health and safety.”
Delaware Township Citizens Against the Pipeline 