It was announced Friday late afternoon that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) would be postponing, due to “unforeseen circumstances,” the sole New Jersey PennEast pipeline scoping meeting scheduled to be held January 27th at The College of New Jersey.
The announcement was posted on the FERC website and delivered via email to those who have registered for an “e-subscription” to the PennEast docket.
“This is very poor communication with the communities they are supposed to be encouraging to attend their sessions,” said Patty Cronheim, coordinator of Hopewell Township Citizens Against PennEast Pipeline (HTCAPP).
There are no further details regarding when the public can expect the New Jersey scoping meeting to be rescheduled.
Nor has FERC announced whether any of the other four meetings have been postponed. The next scheduled meeting is on January 28th in Newtown, Bucks County.
“We’re pleased that FERC seems to be responding, first with the two-week extension and now with the postponement,” said Karen Feridun, Founder, Berks Gas Truth, “but we’re very concerned that the Commission is once again failing to communicate this announcement in a way that will reach the people planning to attend and comment.”
Earlier in the week, 18 organizations and community groups submitted a letter to FERC outlining concerns regarding the method and timing that the meetings had been planned and announced. The letter urged FERC to extend the scoping period to 120 days so that the public would be able to meaningfully prepare and participate in the scoping process. That same day the letter was submitted, local opposition groups hosted a phone and social media campaign to further express these concerns.
As always, stay tuned to MercerMe for updates. Here are a few of our latest pipeline articles to heat you up on this snowy day.
- Recent: Information Coming Down the Pipeline in Hopewell Township, LIVE: Hopewell Township Special Committee Meeting on PennEast Pipeline, PennEast Plots Its Redirection Amidst Confusion, Scoping Meetings Scheduled, Grasping the ‘Scope’ of PennEast Pipeline Devastation, Alternate Route Debunked,
- Background of the PennEast pipeline: Pipeline Coming Through Mercer County
- Basics on the pipeline process and property owner’s rights: FERC This: Pipeline Process in 90 Seconds and Penneast Prefiling Process Begins, Environmental Groups Offer Guidance
- Hopewell Township pipeline aerial maps of initial pipeline route: “Tracking the PennEast Pipeline with Photos.” (Look to recent articles for the co-location route)
- PennEast public appearances: Hopewell Community Comes Out in Opposition to Pipeline and Penneast Meeting Yields Few Answers for Most, Will FERC Answer Them
- Pipeline opposition efforts: Pipeline Opposers Ask Mercer County Freeholders to Take a Stance, Pipeline Opposers Pose for Opposition Photo, Letter to the Editor: Committed to Fight Against the PennEast Pipeline, Letter to the Editor: Sourland Conservancy Opposes New PennEast Pipeline Route
- Local pipeline resolutions: Pennington Boro Passes Two Pipeline Resolutions and You Asked, Penneast Answered, Route Changes, Hopewell Township Demands More