Martha and Frank McDougald, of Hopewell Citizens Against the PennEast Pipeline
To fellow Hopewell Valley citizens:
The proposed PennEast pipeline, which threatens to tear up the public and private lands of our township, is a threat to our community’s drinking water, health and safety, property values and beautiful preserved land for which we have paid with out tax dollars while providing no benefit to us.
We are not landowners, who would be directly impacted by the PennEast pipeline, but we realize that all of our community would suffer if this destructive and unnecessary project were allowed to proceed. This dirty fossil fuel project would impact not only us, but our children and grandchildren as well.
Now that PennEast has formally filed with FERC (new docket number CP15-558), it is important that members of the community file as intervenors. Declaring that you are an intervenor reserves several rights for yourself, including being notified of all documents delivered in relation to the project and also the right to be part of any legal proceedings (or bring them yourself).
There is no real downside to being an intervenor. There is a limited time window — about three weeks — to declare yourself as a “timely” intervenor. After than, it becomes much more involved, and you can be denied by FERC.
It is important that our opposition to the pipeline is voiced to FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission). FERC needs to hear from all of Hopewell Valley, not just from the impacted property owners.
We have been successful in slowing PennEast down — it originally was aiming for a June file date — and we need to keep pushing our message and be engaged.
Intervening now is free, it’s easy, and there are complete instructions on the HTCAPP.org website. HTCAPP has volunteers to assist you. Just email HopewellAgainstPipeline if you need help with the process.
There is also a step-by-step help guide — “How to register with FERC” — on the HTCAPP.org website.
Please take a few minutes of your valuable time to help preserve our private and public land.
Martha and Frank McDougald
members
Hopewell Citizens
Against the PennEast Pipeline
