PennEast: Sierra Club of N.J. exaggerated route changes

In what has become the latest move in the saga of the pipeline, officials of PennEast are claiming that an environmental group has misinterpreted a response to a federal agency as an alternative route for the proposed pipeline.

According to PennEast, Jeff Tittel, the director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, has spread "misinformation" about the proposed pipeline that would span from southeastern Pennsylvania to New Jersey.

In a news release, Pat Kornick, a spokesperson for PennEast, said that the claims by Tittel were "irresponsible" and "hinders honest, factual dialogue" about the project.

READ: N.J. Rate Counsel again blasts PennEast pipeline

READ: Route changes cause delay in PennEast pipeline decision

According to PennEast, pipeline officials filed a response with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in November in part at the request of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service detailing the additional impacts that would occur to avoid designated important bird areas. This response, PennEast said, was mistaken as a route alteration by the Sierra Club.

The Sierra Club said in a news release that PennEast submitted route changes for their proposed pipeline to the FERC docket.

“PennEast keeps playing games and making changes to their route at the last minute before the public has a chance to analyze them," Tittel said. "They seem to be avoiding environmentally sensitive features, causing more environmental and safety impacts to other people and areas. With these deviations, the pipeline would cross the Delaware four times."

PennEast said it has not submitted route alternatives since the end of September, when it announced 33 route modifications largely in response to input from landowners, agencies and others.

Tittel, however, said many of those 33 route modifications contain several smaller modifications, therefore misrepresenting the number of total modifications.

"There's 33 main ones, but in those 33 there are minimal changes," he said. "It's not just one change. It's like they're piecing here and they're piecing it there."

In September, the New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel — the agency that reviews and approves applications to build interstate pipelines — filed a letter with FERC  saying there is no market demand for the natural gas that the proposed PennEast pipeline would transport.

Also, on Dec. 1, the Eastern Environmental Law Center said, “PennEast’s arguments are after-the-fact rationalizations for a project that isn’t needed to meet existing or future need,” according to documents filed with FERC. The Eastern Environmental Law Center made the filing together with Columbia University Environmental Law Clinic on behalf of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation and Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association.

“PennEast continues to claim public need for a pipeline that’s really designed for private profit,” said Tom Gilbert, campaign director of New Jersey Conservation and ReThink Energy NJ.

The Sierra Club said PennEast continues to propose modifications to get the pipeline approved.

"They keep making these changes," Tittel said. "The whole point is that they're making all these changes."

Kornick said that PennEast has not recently recommended submitting a route modification.

According to PennEast, the proposed pipeline will address an area of significant pipeline constraint and will reduce natural gas and electricity costs in the region, improve reliability and promote economic growth.

The Sierra Club, however, said that the PennEast pipeline would threaten the Delaware Valley, including 91 acres of wetlands and over 44 miles of forest and would affect many people on both sides of the Delaware River.

The Sierra Club also said PennEast pipeline also does not even have enough information for necessary permits required from New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

“All PennEast pipeline is really doing with their games is rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic," Tittel said in a news release. "PennEast has continued to play games to push this dangerous and destructive project through the Delaware Valley.

Staff Writer Nick Muscavage: 908-243-6615; ngmuscavavge@gannettnj.com