A group of environmentalists say the
engineering firm preparing the environmental impact study for the proposed
PennEast pipeline has a conflict of interests because the firm also does work
for the natural gas industry.
Elizabeth Skrapits reports in Citizens Voice (Lebanon County, Pa):
“Pasadena, California-based Tetra Tech,
which has branches all over the world — including an office in the Twin Stacks
Center in Dallas — is performing the study required by the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission on how the PennEast natural gas pipeline could affect the
environment.
“The Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association, New Jersey Chapter of the
Sierra Club and the New Jersey Conservation Foundation wrote to U.S. Inspector
General Gregory H. Friedman on March 24, asking him to investigate how Tetra
Tech was selected to be consultant for the $1 billion project when the firm has
financial and organizational conflicts.
“PennEast Pipeline Co. LLC, a joint venture among UGI Energy Services, AGL
Resources, New Jersey Resources, Public Service Enterprise Group and South
Jersey Industries, is looking to build the pipeline, which will run from Dallas
Township to Mercer County, New Jersey and supply gas from Marcellus Shale wells
to utilities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
“The environmental groups contend that in the approximately 108-mile pipeline
route, there are 39 parks, 88 waterways, 44 wetlands, and 33 farms and other
open space areas.
“We believe that this pipeline violates the Clean Water Act and cannot meet the
criteria for 404 permits because the amount of high quality streams, wetlands,
and rivers it is crossing through,” the environmental organizations’ press
release states.”
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