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.”