The Passaic County Commissioners (formerly Freeholders) will have a resolution in front of them this week to oppose the pipeline expansion. There is support for this resolution and we can help those pushing for it by emailing comments ahead of the meeting. It is difficult to get oral comments on the record, so the best way to make your opinion count is to email the County Commission before the meeting at 5:30PM, Tuesday, November 9, 2021.
The link in this section will generate a draft email for you to send. Please remember to sign the bottom of the email with your name and address. If the link does not work, a sample is below. Feel free to add your own message as well.
Subject: Oppose Compressor Station (CS327) in West Milford
Dear Commissioners:
I am writing to express my opposition to Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP) Company’s application to build a new Compressor Station (CS327) in the Highland Council’s Protected Region of West Milford. The proposed site sits right on top of the Monksville reservoir and adjacent to a C1 stream that feeds into the Wanaque Reservoir, a drinking source for over 3 million New Jersey residents.
While the residents of northern Passaic County and other Highlands communities suffer under the development restrictions meant to protect the drinking water of our state, NY and TGP continue to use this watershed as a highway for fracked gas. Since the gas is planned to allow Westchester County to continue development while New Jersey bears the increased risk of transporting this fuel, it is especially appalling to Highlands residents to see their region put at risk so a state that has banned fracking can grow its development using this very same fuel.
The new compressor station will be located within a few hundred yards of the Monksville Reservoir. Right next to the site is a C1 stream (Hewitt Brook) that flows right into the Monksville Reservoir and consequently into the Wanaque Reservoir, a water source for over 3 million NJ residents. A C1 stream category means that it cannot degrade its water quality. The C1 category is supposed to protect critical habitat, stream buffers and keep out pollution discharge of sewage and other sources. C1 also requires higher standards for stormwater.
Passaic County does not benefit from this increased supply of energy, but our towns bear the risk if something goes wrong. Many of our towns have paid a high price to protect NJ’s drinking water and we should oppose any out-of-state action that threatens our water. The Highlands Act was meant to protect our water and Passaic County should support the protections that Act promised by saying no to the pipeline expansion and the proposed compressor station in West Milford.
Regards,
Concerned Resident
Address
Governor Murphy's office has a webpage for the public to submit comments. This is a convenient way to add your voice to the chorus of New Jersey citizens that oppose the pipeline expansion and the associated compressor station. Here are the steps to take:
You can also attach a more formal letter in this page or send it via regular mail.
Dear Governor Murphy:
I am writing to express my opposition to Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP) Company’s application to build a new Compressor Station (CS327) in the Highland Council’s Protected Region of West Milford. The proposed site sits right on top of the Monksville reservoir and adjacent to a C1 stream that feeds into the Wanaque Reservoir, a drinking source for over 3 million New Jersey residents.
While the residents of Ringwood and other Highlands communities suffer under the development restrictions meant to protect the drinking water of our state, NY and TGP continue to use this watershed as a highway for fracked gas. Since the gas is planned to allow Westchester County to continue development while New Jersey bears the increased risk of transporting this fuel, it is especially appalling to Highlands residents to see their region put at risk so a state that has banned fracking can grow its development using this very same fuel.
The Highlands has already allowed this to proceed under Exemption #11, which is the “routine maintenance and operations, rehabilitation, preservation, reconstruction, repair or upgrade of public utility lines, rights-of-way, or systems, by a public utility, provided that the activity is consistent with the goals and purposes of the Highlands Act”.
It is hard to fathom how an upgrade for a fracked gas line to feed a state that will not allow this environmentally harmful practice is “consistent with the goals and purposes of the Highlands Act.” Instead, it appears that an exemption designed to make sure the existing residents could receive proper utilities is being exploited to turn the Highlands Region into a dangerous energy super highway. If we do not stop this expansion now, when will it end?
The new compressor station will be located within a few hundred yards of the Monksville Reservoir. Right next to the site is a C1 stream (Hewitt Brook) that flows right into the Monksville Reservoir and consequently into the Wanaque Reservoir, a water source for over 3 million NJ residents. A C1 stream category means that it cannot degrade its water quality. The C1 category is supposed to protect critical habitat, stream buffers and keep out pollution discharge of sewage and other sources. C1 also requires higher standards for stormwater.
Your climate goals for New Jersey are a critical part of our state’s future. While there are many obstacles to overcome, please consider preventing the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection from issuing any further permits to allow the expansion of TGP’s pipeline, including the addition of a compressor station in West Milford. The Highlands Region was preserved to safeguard New Jersey’s water and this expansion goes against everything that Act is supposed to stand for.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
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