To the editor:
As a member of the Hopewell Township Committee, I am committed to protecting and fighting for a healthy environment for future generations. I have petitioned Trenton Water Works to safeguard our water, fought the PennEast Pipeline, championed the Environment Commission’s hugely successful Solar Challenge and partnered with our local nonprofits for a cleaner Hopewell Township.
With the recent moves in Washington stripping environmental protections across the country, our natural surroundings have never been more threatened. We here in Hopewell Township must redouble our efforts to protect our water, preserved land, and open space.
Fortunately we can rely on guidance from the many environmental groups in our valley. Over the past three years, I have worked with the Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space, the Watershed Institute, and the D&R Greenway Land trust to increase awareness of environmental threats and to protect more of our open space and farm land. Whether discussing the impact of potential developments on our water and wildlife or developing a plan to manage our deer population and the infestation of the Emerald Ash Borer, the township relies on a working partnership with our community’s dedicated volunteers. We all want to keep Hopewell green.
The PennEast pipeline continues to threaten the township. It is currently mapped to go through the Ted Stiles Preserve, the Pennington Circle and end with a compression station right next to a residential development and Mercer Meadows. This pipeline will disturb our wildlife and forests and pollute the water for residents who depend on well water. It will put the community’s health at significant risk.
I have proudly worked with the leadership of the many grassroots organizations involved in the legal battle against PennEast, including the Hopewell Township Citizens Against the PennEast Pipeline. Representing the township, I have participated in rallies, registered as an intervener and joined with Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman in urging passage of the federal Safer Pipelines Act. I will continue this advocacy in the years ahead.
As the Democratic candidate for the Hopewell Township Committee, I believe that protecting our environment is a core value that many of us share. What I bring to the fight ahead is not only a deep commitment to the issue, but a proven record of working with people across the political spectrum to do what is right for our community.
Please vote for Julie Blake on November 6.
Julie Blake
Hopewell Township