Thursday, March 26, 2015

MORRIS COUNTY FREEHOLDERS VOTE TO OPPOSE PILGRIM PIPELINE IN NEW JERSEY




MARCH 26, 2015

The Morris County Freeholders joined several Morris municipal governing bodies that have passed resolutions opposing the proposed Pilgrim Pipeline.

Like the towns and both Essex and Passaic counties before them, the freeholders cited “safety and environmental concerns” in passing their resolution by a unanimous vote at their meeting on Wednesday.

Towns resolving opposition to the project include 10 Morris County municipalities and 27 of 28 along the pipeline route.

The 178-mile pipeline would transport up to 200,000 gallons of Bakken crude oil from a regional hub in Albany, N.Y., to a refinery in Linden, with a second line to carry refined products back in the other direction.

The proposed route, which generally follows existing utility easements, also would take it through the environmentally protected Highlands region, the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and the Buried Valley, Rockaway and Highlands sole-source aquifers in Morris County.

Pilgrim Pipeline Holdings spokesperson Paul Nathanson said last month that the line would provide the Northeast with a more stable supply of refined petroleum products and would be a safer method of delivery than the estimated 1,200 crude-oil barges currently navigating the Hudson River every year.

“We believe our project presents an exciting opportunity to create jobs in New Jersey, protect the environment and provide a more efficient and safe means of transportation for critical fuels in the Hudson Valley,” Nathanson said.

Wednesday, the Morris County freeholders disagreed. They called for an immediate moratorium on all planning, surveying or construction work on the proposed pipeline.

The resolution also calls for a “full environmental impact statement’’ to be conducted on the project by the state Department of Environmental Protection to assess potential environmental consequences.

“This pipeline project raises significant safety concerns for Morris County, including potential harm to our residents, schools, and municipal and county infrastructure,’’ said Freeholder Director Kathy DeFillippo. “We have heard the concerns raised by the towns and people of our county and, therefore, insist on a thorough and exhaustive study of any potential consequences of this pipeline before it gets any further consideration.’’

“We do not have confidence that the company proposing to build this pipeline has the experience or proven track record to ensure a safe environment for our residents,’’ Freeholder John Krickus said.

“Through careful long-term planning, Morris County is interwoven with open space and natural areas designed for the protection of the county’s water resources, which should not be endangered by this pipeline,’’ said Freeholder John Cesaro. “Morris County is highly dependent on groundwater sources for potable water, so the route of this pipeline and its potential negative impact are a source of grave concern to this freeholder board.

The freeholders noted that Chatham and Madison boroughs are served by public water that comes from public wells within their boroughs, and the associated wellhead protection areas for these municipal wells fall with the proposed pipeline route.

East Hanover and Montville also are served by public wells within their community, and some of the associated wellhead protection areas are within the proposed pipeline route.

“The momentum against The Pilgrim Pipeline keeps building with Morris County just passing a resolution against this harmful pipeline,” said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey office of the Sierra Club. “We applaud Morris County for standing up for the environment and clean water. The timing of resolution was a rebuttal to the Governor who on Monday gave some support for this Pipeline.”

At a town hall meeting Tuesday in Hanover, Christie, answering a question from a woman asked if he would support banning the Pilgrim Pipeline, said DEP Commissioner Bob Martin was reviewing the information coming in about the issue. He also expressed concerns about other methods of transporting the oil, including rail and barge.

“I want everybody to understand this issue of pipelines is a lot more complex because it’s not as though we can say this energy is not going to be (coming in),” he said. “We do not live in a world where you can make it perfectly safe for the transportation of energy.”

When he does make a decision, “It will be done in a way that protects both the environment of the state and the laws of the state.”

“Gov. Christie seems more concerned with the concerns of Big Oil than people, towns or the freeholders of his home county,” Tittel said. “The governor at one time served as a Morris County freeholder making the county’s resolution even more important.”