The northern pines one. No uproar, no surprise.
http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/...-project-clears-hurdle-in-application-process
http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/...-project-clears-hurdle-in-application-process
Pineland Commission approves pipeline
- Thread starter 46er
- Start date
Read the comments, this person makes sense of by saying the Pinelands Commission didn't approve it. The southern pipeline went to the Commission (not the Commission staff) and was not approved so they found a way to circumvent the process. What has to happen now is for the people of the area to get involved (just like the MAP issue).
I'm am very upset by this decision. This is nothing less than political conspiracy and abuse of power, very similar to the bridgegate scandal. This governer of ours has a history of retribution towards those who cross him. Whatever I can do to help stop this thing, please update and include me so that I can help with the effort to prevent corruption of this most delicate ecosystem.
The issue is that the authority of the pinelands commission was violated and completely circumvented by stacking the commision with members who will vote the way Governer Christie wants them to. It sets a precedent that makes the commission powerless and obsolete. There is tremendous pressure to develop the area. This is exactly what happened in the Long Island pine barrens. This marks the beginning of the end of the pinelands Reserve.
Jason beat me to it. But I'll explain a bit more.
The pipeline itself is not the end of the world. Yes, it follows roadway for a portion of the distance but it also crosses several bodies of water and wetlands. They're using a technique called horizontal drilling to basically dig underground with the intent of not disturbing the wetlands. Who knows if it will work. There's also the fact that the pipeline will eventually leak, as pretty much all of them do at some point in time or another.
Do we need energy? Yes. But the BL England plant is not producing a lot of power, and isn't really necessary for the area. There's three generators there. Two of them are shut off. The one remaining generator generates 163 MW. By way of comparison, the Mercer Generating Station in Hamilton, NJ, which also burns coal, generates 653 MW.
The way that the pipeline got approved is where the problem lays. The pipeline application had been repeatedly turned down by the Pinelands Commission. Then Governor Christie changed the commission and added members who would be more amenable to the pipeline being built. Basically, he put people on the commission who have little to no connection to the Pinelands, have no scientific background, and really aren't qualified to be there. It was through backdoor dealings, plus forcing a vote when one commissioner (who was against the pipeline) was absent that got this approved.
What does this mean? Now there's precedent for other utilities putting transmission lines and whatnot through. Now builders who get turned down because their plans don't follow the Comprehensive Management Plan can make a stronger case to sue the commission to get their plans approved since the pipeline (which goes against the CMP) got approved.
The only reason why the Pine Barrens (as we know it) exists is because of the Comprehensive Management Plan. If that wasn't in force you'd have developments like Brick, Toms River, Lakewood, Manchester, etc. spreading out all through the pines as developers race to build the latest Costco, Olive Garden, strip malls, and condo complexes. Sure, you'd have places like Wharton, Bass River, and Byrne State Forests, but they'd be small pockets of wilderness surrounded by a concrete jungle.
On top of that, all of that extra development will mean that the already tenuous aquifer situation will get worse. The more concrete and asphalt there is that covers the ground the less rainwater can soak back in the ground and refill the aquifer. The more people around the more pollution will be picked up by whatever rain water makes it back into the ground. It's a lose/lose for everybody but South Jersey Gas and the developers.
The pipeline itself is not the end of the world. Yes, it follows roadway for a portion of the distance but it also crosses several bodies of water and wetlands. They're using a technique called horizontal drilling to basically dig underground with the intent of not disturbing the wetlands. Who knows if it will work. There's also the fact that the pipeline will eventually leak, as pretty much all of them do at some point in time or another.
Do we need energy? Yes. But the BL England plant is not producing a lot of power, and isn't really necessary for the area. There's three generators there. Two of them are shut off. The one remaining generator generates 163 MW. By way of comparison, the Mercer Generating Station in Hamilton, NJ, which also burns coal, generates 653 MW.
The way that the pipeline got approved is where the problem lays. The pipeline application had been repeatedly turned down by the Pinelands Commission. Then Governor Christie changed the commission and added members who would be more amenable to the pipeline being built. Basically, he put people on the commission who have little to no connection to the Pinelands, have no scientific background, and really aren't qualified to be there. It was through backdoor dealings, plus forcing a vote when one commissioner (who was against the pipeline) was absent that got this approved.
What does this mean? Now there's precedent for other utilities putting transmission lines and whatnot through. Now builders who get turned down because their plans don't follow the Comprehensive Management Plan can make a stronger case to sue the commission to get their plans approved since the pipeline (which goes against the CMP) got approved.
The only reason why the Pine Barrens (as we know it) exists is because of the Comprehensive Management Plan. If that wasn't in force you'd have developments like Brick, Toms River, Lakewood, Manchester, etc. spreading out all through the pines as developers race to build the latest Costco, Olive Garden, strip malls, and condo complexes. Sure, you'd have places like Wharton, Bass River, and Byrne State Forests, but they'd be small pockets of wilderness surrounded by a concrete jungle.
On top of that, all of that extra development will mean that the already tenuous aquifer situation will get worse. The more concrete and asphalt there is that covers the ground the less rainwater can soak back in the ground and refill the aquifer. The more people around the more pollution will be picked up by whatever rain water makes it back into the ground. It's a lose/lose for everybody but South Jersey Gas and the developers.
By the way, the bnl plant does not provide power in the pinelands Reserve.
By the way, the bnl plant does not service in the pinelands Reserve.
The Sierra Club is appealing the construction of the Southern Reliability Link, the natural gas pipeline planned to go through Burlington, Monmouth and Ocean Counties, including through the Pine Barrens.
http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/...ine-approval-another-environmental-challenge/
http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/...ine-approval-another-environmental-challenge/
Can they appeal the southern pipeline that is going through Cumberland and Cape May Counties as well?
With the loss of oyster creeks nuke plant 10 years earlier than planned the power it created for the shore area has to be replaced.if i had a option of a co gen or another nuke i will go with gas plant.i did not agree with original plan for pipeline for bl to go through the forest and i can tell you that directional drilling is much better than open cut trenching they use a clay based lubrication to stabilize the drill hole.if bl not converted than a at least 200 ft wide clear cut for new high tension lines will have to be done to supply the shore area power.i do not pnow or will never support running pipelines through untouched forest.
They will lose, if it is even heard by the courts, and that's a good thing. The Sierra club should go back to the Sierra's.
The SRL route follows roads, private property and the Joint Base. Trace it using GE.
In the above attached article there is a paragraph that reads as follows: "The Southern Reliability Link (SRL) will support the safe, reliable, resilient distribution of natural gas to 83 municipalities throughout Monmouth, Ocean and Burlington counties, benefiting over one million people," the company said in literature about the project.
It is my understanding that nobody in Burlington or Monmouth Counties would benefit from the Southern Reliability Link. It will cut through those counties but only to reach its final destination in the Toms River area. It is only to be a backup to the main pipeline that serves Jersey shore communities.
Because of very organized community involvement, the route has been redirected out of the municipality where I live in Upper Freehold Township. In the map several posts above, you can see the orange route that has a very distinct detour in it completely bypassing UFT. The young families who fought the project did a great job. Because of their community involvement, the route for the 30 inch high pressure gas pipeline has been moved. With more activism (God I hate that word) like this, perhaps the SRL can be stopped altogether. It is after all a backup, not an absolute necessity.
From 2010:
http://www.transcanada.com/announcements-article.html?id=1283846
From 2016:
http://news10.com/2016/04/08/keystone-pipeline-leaks-17000-gallons-of-oil-in-south-dakota/
People really want unnecessary pipelines like the SRC and the one to BL England going through their towns?
ALL pipelines will eventually leak. You can only hope that when the pipeline to BL England leaks it does it in the forest and not somewhere where they're doing that horizontal drilling to get it under water.
http://www.transcanada.com/announcements-article.html?id=1283846
From 2016:
http://news10.com/2016/04/08/keystone-pipeline-leaks-17000-gallons-of-oil-in-south-dakota/
People really want unnecessary pipelines like the SRC and the one to BL England going through their towns?
ALL pipelines will eventually leak. You can only hope that when the pipeline to BL England leaks it does it in the forest and not somewhere where they're doing that horizontal drilling to get it under water.