By Desiree Taylor
A plan to expand a natural gas pipeline through several state parks and New Jersey’s sensitive Highlands area is close to moving forward. The State House Commission, which oversees the sale and leasing of state owned properties, voted in favor of the project yesterday. State Senator Gerald Cardinale is among the Commission members who support it. “Natural gas burns cleaner”, said Cardinale. “It’s foolish to oppose progress.”
Tennessee Gas, a Kinder Morgan Company, says the upgrade is needed to meet increasing demands for more environmentally friendly and sustainable power. According to the company’s website, the Northeast Upgrade Project … will allow an additional 636,000 dekatherms per day of natural gas to be transported along Tennessee’s 300 Line in Pennsylvania and delivered to growing markets in the Northeast.
But environmentalists believe the expanded natural gas pipeline will do more harm than good. Additional forested areas would need to be cleared for the project. “These cuts disrupt forests,” said Elliott Ruga, of the New Jersey Highlands Coaltion. He points to a wooded park in Highland Lakes where a wide stretch of land was cleared for another Tennessee Gas pipeline upgrade. “This is a major scar across the Highlands,” said Julia Somers, the Executive Director of the New Jersey Highlands Coalition. “And for what? For liquid gas to be shipped overseas.”
The New Jersey Highlands Coalition has been a vocal and passionate opponent of this project. Among its concerns are the potential impacts to the environment. In particular, the woods and lakes of the Highlands, which supply more than half the state’s residents with drinking water. The Highlands Act, a state law which restricts the development in this sensitive area, includes exemptions for utilities.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission concluded last year that the impacts to the Highlands would be minimal. And Tennessee Gas, a Kinder Morgan Company, claims it uses techniques that minimize impact to resources. And the project will create jobs. But State Senator Bob Smith, who voted against the project, believes taxpayers have been shortchanged. “They are paying the state of of New Jersey $4 million dollars for the ground rent lease,” said Smith. Senator Cardinale claims the payment is 12 million if you include mitigation efforts by the company which includes planting of trees and other costs.
The project still needs permit approvals which are expected to be granted. But The New Jersey Highlands Coalition plans to keep fighting the project.
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