BPU Holds Public Hearing on Proposed Pipeline Project

TUCKAHOE – The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) held two similar hearings June 17 to consider an amended petition by South Jersey Gas to build a 24-inch natural gas pipeline through three area counties. The hearings, one in the afternoon and the other in the evening to maximize attendance, were held at the Upper Township Community Center in Tuckahoe and designed, in the words of BPU Commissioner Joseph Fiordaliso, to “have the process work by receiving as many comments as possible from residents.”
There is a long history to South Jersey Gas’ attempts to get this project approved. In January 2014 its original proposal was not approved when Pineland Commission members voted 7-7 against it and within the context of highly negative public reaction as well as the objections of four past New Jersey governors representing both political parties.
In opening the afternoon hearing, Fiordaliso said he had been “designated to preside over this matter,” that the proceedings were being transcribed by the stenographer present as well as taped through audio and video recording and that all records could be obtained by the public. He stressed that it was important that the BPU receive as much input from the public as possible, that all who wanted to speak would have the opportunity and would be “taken seriously” and that he commended the many interested parties who had turned out and filled the large meeting room for their commitment to state their views.
Fiordaliso noted that if a participant wanted to comment in writing to send such input to the BPU in Trenton or through email to board.secretary@BPU.state.nj.us.
South Jersey Gas as Petitioner Presents Its Case
Fiordaliso gave the floor to South Jersey Gas represented by legal counsel from Cozen O’Connor. Instead of presenting a statement, as was expected, counsel asked to call a witness which Fiordaliso allowed. In fact, per earlier South Jersey Gas press releases, the company had stated it would not be making any presentation at all.
South Jersey Gas’ witness, Joseph Schneider, was sworn in and stated he had worked since 1997 for South Jersey Gas and was speaking at the hearing as its general manager of system engineering and planning who was “well aware of all aspects of natural gas pipeline and construction details.”
Schneider then read from a number of documents both that he had prepared as well as those in the public domain through the internet. These documents included a new, updated construction map which showed a change of the proposed location of the interconnected station of this project in Tuckahoe. The change moves the station from its previously proposed position south of Marshall Avenue and west of Route 50 to the present proposed location in Tuckahoe north of Mt. Pleasant Avenue and east of Tuckahoe Road.
Schneider said, “The old impact of the pipeline was in the ‘Forest Area’ and now it’s within the ‘Pinelands Village Area’ per the guidelines of the Pinelands CMP (Comprehensive Master Plan).” Schneider emphasized that another update in South Jersey Gas’ current petition is that no new customers will be connected to South Jersey Gas in the “Forest Area” unless BPU orders it to do so.
Schneider continued with his explanation using other documents such as an “adverse impact” review from PJM Interconnection, the regional grid operator, which he said demonstrated the negative implications of the potential deactivation on power transmission and reliability related to the B.L. England plant in Beesley’s Point, Upper Township.
The B.L. England plant is the terminus of the proposed pipeline which would start in Maurice River Township, Cumberland County, travel through the city of Estelle Manor, Atlantic County and then traverse the rest of its proposed route through Upper Township. Schneider explained at length that per his research and opinion, without the pipeline and in consideration of the inefficiencies of the B.L. England plant, and the planned 2019 retirement of the Oyster Creek nuclear facility in Ocean County, which is the oldest in the country, power rates will go up and reliability will go down.
Schneider noted that it is also South Jersey Gas’ intent to upgrade the B.L. England plant so that it can provide “black start power” which will allow a generator to start on its own without electricity. “It is important to have this capability locally and the B.L. England plant will be that source,” he said.
At the end of what turned out to be a long and unexpected evidentiary presentation by South Jersey Gas, Fiordaliso said, “This was not meant to be an evidentiary hearing, and usually we hear only comments from the public after brief opening statements by the petitioner and other interested parties.” Several attendees vocally expressed both their approval of Fiordaliso‘s statement as well as their frustration that he had allowed Schneider to speak at all and for the length he had.
After brief statements from Henry Ogden, New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel, who mentioned that any rate adjustment must be approved by BPU and Paul Flanagan, BPU executive director, who said all South Jersey Gas evidence is available to the public, Fiordaliso opened the floor to the many members of the public who had signed a list indicating they wished to have an opportunity to comment.
Local Chambers of Commerce and Union Express Support
“We are in full support of the pipeline since it means enhanced power reliability for our thousands of members and for another 142,000 residents in the South Jersey area. The pipeline will be an investment in infrastructure and replace burning of dirty coal,” said Debora DiLorenzo, President of the South Jersey Chamber of Commerce. Echoing her perspective, Maura Primus, of the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce, said, “We also support the pipeline since it will help our members do business and provide employment.”
Charles Hill Jr., the business manager of Union Local 210 stated “this pipeline is the only hope that 70 people keep their jobs at the B.L. England plant and the proposal also represents future construction jobs, so we are in favor of its approval.”
NGOs and Residents Explain Their Opposition
“South Jersey Gas is expecting us to pay for the pollution they will create with this pipeline that is not necessary anyway,” said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “There are major inconsistencies with the ‘evidence’ presented by South Jersey Gas and they ‘cherry picked’ the facts and used incomplete data to support their claims. For example, South Jersey Gas says it will only supply 3,000 users in the Pinelands and yet the Chamber of Commerce says 142,000 people will benefit.”
As the first speaker presenting his opposition to the pipeline, Tittel’s comments also drew the first applause of the public comment session and the applause was sustained with a number of verbal comments also indicating agreement.
Francis Rapa, representing the Delaware Bay Conservation Fund, said his organization has been closely involved with Pinelands preservation and the “so-called amended proposal by South Jersey Gas is not different from its previous proposal, except now we have a weakened Commission that will be hearing it.”
Georgina Shanley provided additional facts related to the project’s negative impact when she noted, “I represent the five county organization called CURE (Citizens United for Renewable Energy) and this is the greatest threat we have ever seen against New Jersey natural treasures. The Pinelands is the jewel in the crown, it is a UNESCO designated biosphere and must not be damaged because of a slick move to make private profit. Even the Pope this week in Rome declared that the environment must be protected at all costs and global warming stopped; this project has nothing to do with reliability and everything to do with commercial gain.”
“Who can argue with the Pope?” quipped Fiordaliso.
Stating a number of shared sentiments with those in the audience, George Hay III of Somers Point and Ocean City said, “Through my years in California with Pacific Gas and my professional experience there I am totally opposed to this project. It only serves the purpose of the company and should not be approved until we have objective technical review by impartial experts.”
Fiordaliso promised to share with the other commissioners and carefully consider all that had been presented at this hearing before taking any decision.
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.