NJ Commission To Hold Key Vote On Pinelands Pipeline
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The New Jersey Pinelands Commission is preparing to vote Friday on a proposal to allow construction of a section of a controversial pipeline through the protected forest region.
Carleton Montgomery, executive director of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, says three years after a similar proposal was rejected by the panel, it now appears this time it's headed for approval.
Montgomery says a change in the composition of the Pinelands Commission board to a more project-friendly majority, and endorsement of the South Jersey Gas Project by the group's executive director may seal the deal.
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But Montgomery says his organization has a pending legal challenge against the commission, filed in advance of the vote.
"The appeal that's currently pending is against the procedure the Pinelands Commission adopted in December for reviewing this kind of case, a very informal procedure that does not involve an evidentiary hearing, and doesn't provide an opportunity to really test the claims that are being made in favor of the project," he said.
Ten miles of the 22-mile pipeline is set to pass through a Cumberland County section of the forest, where Montgomery says the regulations prohibit such construction.
Governor Christie and business groups want the pipeline. They support the project's stated goals of making the power supply more dependable in case of future disasters like Sandy. It would allow the B.L. England plant to switch from burning coal to natural gas.
"So, we will have cleaner emissions and I firmly believe that the impact to the Pinelands is negligible," said Debra DiLorenzo, the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey.
CBS 3's Cleve Bryan contributed to this report...
