By Frank Mustac, Contributor
Mayor Kevin Kuchinski appointed a four-member PennEast Pipeline citizens advisory group to assist the township in its opposition to the construction of the proposed natural gas transmission line., Named to the advisory group are Patty Cronheim, Jill Spiro, Frank McDougal and Fairfax Hunter., The PennEast Pipeline Company is waiting for approvals from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for a permit to proceed with construction of the proposed roughly 120 mile-long, 36-inch natural gas pipeline that would start in Luzerne County, Penn., near Wilkes-Barre and pass through parts of Hunterdon and Mercer counties in New Jersey and end at a junction with an existing pipeline in southeastern Hopewell Township near Blackwell Road., PennEast specifically is requesting a “certificate of public convenience and necessity” from FERC., “We’ve got people who are willing to volunteer to be on the advisory,” Ms. Cronheim said during the Jan. 23 committee meeting. “I volunteered to co-chair it with Mayor Kuchinski.”, Ms. Cronheim is the founder of the Hopewell Township Citizens Against the PennEast Pipeline organization. She also serves as outreach coordinator for the “ReThink Energy NJ” campaign, which was launched in part by the N.J. Conservation Foundation., “It just made sense for there to be a township pipeline (advisory group) that could help inform the township committee and work closely with the township so we’re not always so separate and…so it’s all under one roof,” she said. “If anyone else is interested, of course, we’ll be open to hearing from anyone else who would like to serve.”, Township Committeewoman Vanessa Sandom asked if members of the pipeline advisory group could participate in Township Committee executive sessions, which are closed to the public., “Let me think about that. I’ll look into that,” Township Attorney Linda Galella said., Ms. Cronheim also offered what she described as “good news” regarding the the PennEast Pipeline company’s pipeline application process with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission., “Today, FERC once again delayed the PennEast Pipeline or another couple of months,” she said. “So instead of the final environmental impact study coming out on February 17, now it is April 17. So delay is the name of the game for stopping this pipeline.”, PennEast company spokeswoman Patricia Kornick issued a press release on Jan. 23 about FERC’s revised environmental review schedule., “After a two-and-a-half year review of PennEast Pipeline Company’s application, including the 33 route adjustments announced in September to further reduce environmental impact, the additional 49-day review period FERC announced today will help ensure a complete and thorough review,” Ms Kornick said in the press release. “PennEast looks forward to receiving the final environmental impact statement (EIS) and anticipates the line will be operational in the second half 2018.”
