More than 100 area residents --mostly from Moore and Lehigh Townships where the proposed PennEast pipeline is expected to run through nearly 150 properties -- attended an informational meeting Thursday evening on the project co-hosted by State reps. Marcia Hahn (R-Nazareth) and Julie Harhart (R-Northampton).
The state legislators invited Dave Messersmith, an educator with the Penn State University Cooperative Extension and Attorney Carl Englemen, Jr., an environmental law specialist from Reading to make brief presentations followed by question and answer periods.
Harhart said although tentative pipeline construction is not expected to begin until 2017, the project has caused concern among many of her constituents.
She said her desire was to provide an informational forum where affected landowners could get answers to their questions.
Messersmith's presentation included understanding pipeline regulation, construction, and landscape impacts.
"We're not here to take a position. We're here to provide information," he stated.
He pointed out that nearly all natural gas consumed in the U.S. is transported by pipelines and 63% of American homes are heated by natural gas.
Alternatively, however, he said pipelines can negatively impact the environment, landscapes, and property values in addition to causing safety and health concerns.
With regard to "eminent domain," Messersmith said it generally only applies to federally regulated projects, state distribution lines, and projects showing direct public benefits.
He said it does not apply to local shale gas gathering lines whose right-of-way decision remains with the landowner.
Typical pipeline easement specs include 300 property yards multiplied by a 50-foot right-of-way. which amounts to roughly one acre of land.
This translates into residents being paid $15 per foot of pipeline installed or $4,500 per acre, according to Messersmith's presentation.
Landowner compensation for granting right-of-way permission to the pipeline company includes eminent domain compensation for property damages affecting land values before and after the pipeline installation.
In addition, he noted "gathering line" right-of-way values are determined by private negotiation with the landowner and can be highly variable from $5 to $25 or more per foot of pipe installed.
Messersmith cautioned property owners they should never allow as part of their right-of-way agreement the installation of pipeline-related infrastructure such as valves, launchers, catchers, drying and metering facilities, compressor stations, and protection equipment.
He also recommended landowners require pipeline trench diggers separate topsoil and subsoil on opposite sides of open trenches and have it refilled in the opposite direction in order to properly manage farmland soil.
Finally, he said every effort should be made to install new pipelines near or alongside other utility lines, roadways, railroad tracks, and existing boundary areas in order to reduce the new pipeline's overall impact.
Messersmith also encouraged better pipeline planning and management of residential development near existing pipelines.
Attorney Engleman said PennEast is currently in the pre-filing review process with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the landowners' comment period to FERC on its website has been extended until February 27.
"Your involvement is critical, " the attorney said. He advised residents not only to voice their oppositions to the pipeline online during FERC's comment period, but to become a part of the public record by filing a "petition to intervene" in order to become an official part of the process.
Engleman said the only place where a landowner can contest a pipeline is not in the public's interest thus allowing the use of eminent domain is before FERC.
He cautioned eminent domain "cannot be threatened before its time" and noted FERC does not advocate land agents immediately threatening landowners with the enforcement of eminent domain.
Furthermore, he advised property owners to negotiate to minimize impacts to their land such as a loss of trees, wetlands, and water sources, etc. He said in order to halt a pipeline a resident needs to get involved and be calm, articulate, and professional in their demeanor.
In regard to compensating property owners, Engleman said they have to evaluate how severely the pipeline will impact their property surface versus the subsurface.
He said the greater the impact to the land and environment the greater the compensation to the resident.
Finally, he advises residents should consider all sides of the issue, recognize that 98 percent of all previous pipeline applications to FERC have been approved, and to make sure you get the highest possible compensation for your land.
from 69News:Home http://ift.tt/1ELk9Qg
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