August4,2014

PineGroveTownship
Supervisors
175OakGroveRoad
PineGrove,PA17963

DearPineGroveTownshipSupervisors,
SchuylkillPipelineAwarenessisagroupofnewlyorganizedresidentsofSchuylkillCountywho
haveconcernsabouttheproposedAtlanticSunrisePipelineprojectthatisbeingproposedby
Williams/TranscoPipelineCompanytocutthroughpartoftheCounty.Weareorganizingatan
openFacebookgroupat:https://www.facebook.com/groups/758856534157741/toget
educatedonthisproposedprojectandensureneighborsandresidentshaveinformationabout
theproject.Asyouknow,theproposedCentralPennLineSouthsegmentofthepipelinewould
runalongpartsofOakGroveRoadandcutacrossalargeportionofPineGroveTownshipinto
TremontTownshipandbeyond.Wearelearningfromotherresidentsalongthelines
organizinginLancaster,LebanonandSusquehannaCountyandfromcommunityorganizations
thathavedealtwithsimilarprojectsinthepastfewyears,howlargeofanimpactthisproposed
pipelinewouldbetotheregionasitwouldcuta100footnewROWthroughtheregion.
Studieshaveshownlargeimpactstosimilarlinesthathavetransectedregionsofthe
CommonwealthwiththeonsetofMarcellusshaledrillinginotherareasofthestate.
Atthesametime,thefederalentitythatwouldneedtoissueacertificateofpublicnecessity,
FERC,hasnotbeenaddressingthecumulativeanddiverseimpactsoftheselargegas
infrastructureprojectscollectivelyasentireprojects(DelawareRiverkeeperNetworkvs.Federal
EnergyRegulatoryCommission(FERC)DCCir.No.131015,June6,2014).OnJune6,2014,the
USCourtofAppealsfortheDCCircuitheldthattheFederalEnergyRegulatoryCommission
(FERCorCommission)violatedtheNationalEnvironmentalPolicyAct(NEPA)byfailingto
addressthecumulativeimpactswhenitissuedacertificateofpublicconvenienceandnecessity
forapipeline(theNortheastProjectbyTennesseeGasPipelineCompany).Thecourtfound
thatFERCshouldhaveconsideredtheNortheastProjectinconjunctionwiththreeother
upgradeprojectsinotherlocationsalongthesamepipelinethatwereunderseparateFERC
review.ThecourtalsoheldthatFERCimpermissiblysegmenteditsNEPAreviewoftheprojects.
Wedonotwantsimilarissuesorlackofoversighttooccurnowwiththisnewproposed
pipeline,thatifconstructedwould(onestimatesbythecompany)be178mileslongwithat
leasttwonewcompressorstations,beingconsideredbyFERC,whichiswhywearereaching
outtothetownship.
WeunderstandthatapubliccommentperiodforFERCscopingandtheEnvironmentalImpact
StatementisopenuntilAugust18
th
andwearewritingtoasktheTownshiptoweighin
duringthispubliccommentprocesstogetconcernsonrecordatthisearlystageoftheFERC
process.WealsounderstandthattownshipsinotherregionshaverequestedopenQ&A
meetingswithWilliamsPipelinesoresidentscangettheirquestionsansweredinapublicforum
buthavegottennoresponseorsatisfactionfromthepipelinecompanythatwantstobuilda
largepipelinethroughthesecommunities.Peoplehavemanyquestionsandconcernsthatwe
haverelatedtothepipelinethatwebelieveshouldbeaddressedandpartoftheEnvironmental
ImpactStatementconductedbyFERCandtherequiredAlternativesanalysistoexamineclosely
whatthecumulativeimpactsandrealbenefitsofthisprojectwouldcreatefortheTownship
andtheCommonwealthbeyond.Asweseeitnow,thispipelinewouldnotbenefitour
communityorthelargerCommonwealthoverallfortheshortorlongtermandwewantto
ensurethatFERCexamineallimpactsfullyasitconsidersifitshouldorshouldnotissuea
certificateofpublicnecessity.SchuylkillCountyhasbornethecostoffossilfuelproductionin
theformofcoalforgenerations;wedonotwanttobeanothersacrificezonenowformethane
gasproduction;nordowewanttohavethisharmputonothersintheCommonwealthifthe
pipelineweretomovepaths.Someofourinitialconcernsthatwewouldurgethetownshipto
pressbeaddressedduringtheFERCreviewandanalysistoscientificallyevaluatethisprojectto
determineifitisinthebestinterestoftheCommonwealthinclude:
Lossofagriculturallandsandsoilcompactionfrompipelineconstruction
Lossofpropertyvaluesandpotentialchangesininsuranceduetoareashavinganew
highpressure42inchgaslinewherenoindustrialactivityhasexistedinthepast
Eminentdomainconcernsforapipelinethatappearstohavenoshorttermorlongterm
benefittothecommunitiesitwillcutthroughatthisjuncturewedonotunderstand
howthispipelinewouldbeintheinterestofthegreaterpublicandthereforewedo
notbelieveFERCshouldissueacertificateofpublicnecessity.
WhatClasspipelinewillbeusedfortheproposedpipelinewhereisthispipe
manufactured?(SimilarpipelinespermittedinthePoconosandinruralareasoftenare
permittedwithlowergradesteelthaninlargecitieswhydoruralcommunitiesnotget
protectedlikecitypopulations?).
WilliamsindicatedinitsownAugust2014powerpointpresentation,AtlanticSunrise
wouldleadtovariousmarketsincludingpointsontheeasternshoretoaproposed
liquidnaturalgas(LNG)facilityinCovePoint,MDthatwouldexportgastothehighest
foreignbidder(FERCiscurrentlyreviewingplanstoconvertthisimportLNGfacilitytoan
exportplant).Thecompanyhassincechangesitspresentationstodownplaytheexport
componentoftheproject.
FutureexpansionsthatcouldoccurifthisnewgreenspringROWisallowed
Since1986,pipelineaccidentshavekilledmorethan500people,injuredover4,000,and
costnearlysevenbilliondollarsinpropertydamages(Propublica,Nov12,2012).
Corrosionofpipelines,highwinds,impactfromoutsideforce,aresomeofthereasons
behindtheseaccidents.HowdoesWilliamsplantoprotectthecommunityfromthese
incidentsthatwouldbenewsincethisisanewpipeline?
Howwilllocalandruralfiredepartmentsandentitiesdealwithorbetrainedtorespond
ifapipelineexplosionoraccidentoccursalongtheline?Whatarethenewemergency
responseproceduresthatthetownshipwillneedtotakeontoprotectpeopleifan
explosionwastooccur?
Lossofinteriorforests,forestfragmentation,increasedlymediseasefromforest
fragmentationimpacts
Healthimpactsfromincreasedgasdrillingandtheadditionalwellsandforest
fragmentationthatcommunitieswouldbeexposedtowiththesenewexportmarkets
formethanegas
Climatechangeimpactsbyburningandreleasingadditionalmethanegaswhichisover
17timesmoreheattrappingthancarbondioxideincreasedflooding,increasedstorm
damage,increasedlossoflifeandpropertyduetostorms,lossofhabitatsthatcomes
withclimatechangeimpacts
Increasedsedimentpollutionfromthestreamandwetlandcrossingsofthepipeline
project
Increasedstormwaterrunofffromcompactedsoilsandincreasedsedimentpollution,
especiallyalongsteepslopesthatwouldbecutthroughbythepipeline
Healthimpactsandairpollutionfromcompressorstationsthatwillneedtobebuilt
alongthenewpipelineemissionsofVOCsandotherharmfulchemicals
Riskofexplosions,whatistheblastzoneareaifthepipeweretoexplode?Howfast
doesthegasmove?
MethanegasfromMarcellusshaleisradioactivebynature,whatstudieshavebeen
donetoensureradioactivityisnotharminghumanhealthwiththeselinesrunning
throughcommunities24/7?
Whatisthefootprinttobuildthepipelineinwayofenergyuseandrawresources
needed(steelproductionetc.)?
Howmanyaccessroadswillneedtobebuiltalongthelinetobuildandmaintainthe
line?
Whatisthelifespanofthepipeline?USGeologicalSurveyhasestimatedthatgas
productionintheMarcellusshalemayonlylast1530yearsdependingonproduction
andyieldinthewells?Whathappenswhenthegasisexhausted?Wehaveplentyof
examplesinSchuylkillCountywherecoalcompanieshaveabandonedprojectsafterthe
coalisgoneorreduced.WhatassurancesisWilliamspromisinglongtermtoavoidlong
termcontaminationissuesandabandonment?
Thesearejustsomeoftheconcernsthatwehavecollectivelybegunthinkingaboutthatwe
wanttosharewithFERCduringthispublicinputprocessandwehopethattheTownshipcan
alsoweighinwithsimilarandotherconcernsbyresidentsandtheTownshiptohelpelevate
theseconcernsfurtherduringthepublicprocess.
Finally,ResidentsfromPineGroveareaarecarpoolingtotheLebanonhearingonTuesday,
August5,2014thisisunfortunatelytheclosestofthe4hearingsfortheregion.Wehopethat
someonefromthetownshipmaybeabletojoinusatthemeetingandiftheywanttocarpool
alongwithus,pleasegiveLeahZerbeacallat2675663377.Thankyouforyourtimeandall
youdofortheTownshipandtheregion.
Sincerely,
JohnZerbeII,Leah&FaithZerbe
OnBehalfofSchuylkillPipelineAwareness