By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
Pipeline company Williams agreed to dig under rather than through some environmentally sensitive parts of the Princeton Ridge when it starts laying a new pipeline this year.
The company said this week that it would bore five feet into the ground, under six different areas where there are streams and wetlands. That differs from the traditional method of trenching to lay the pipeline that the company was going to use in those same areas.
Williams spokesman Christopher L. Stockton said Tuesday that the company agreed to those changes in response to a request by the state Department of Environmental Protection. He said it was an outgrowth of an “ongoing consultation” his company has been having with state regulators.
DEP spokesman Larry Hanja said Tuesday that his agency wants to minimize the environmental impact of the project “as much as possible.” He said boring is a proven technique that has worked before and one of the techniques that regulators would like to see Williams use.
The decision by Williams was called a “step in the right direction” by Princeton Ridge resident Barb Blumenthal on Tuesday. She is part of a citizens’ group, the Princeton Ridge Coalition, that is monitoring the project and fighting to make it as safe as possible.
Williams has approval to construct a natural gas pipeline that would go through parts of New Jersey, including Princeton and Montgomery, and Pennsylvania. The Oklahoma-based company already owns a pipeline in the area, and wants to be able to increase its capacity to ship natural gas from the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania.
The DEP still has yet to issue the necessary wetlands and flood hazard permits Williams needs for the New Jersey leg of the project, Mr. Hanja said. “We’ll be reviewing information the company provides before deciding whether to issue the permits,” he said.
The company wants to get working in Princeton around May 1.
Mayor Liz Lempert said Tuesday that Williams’ decision is “another promising development.” She said boring under the most sensitive area means the project would have less of a damaging impact.