The Upper Freehold Township Committee unanimously said NO to the idea of running a pipeline through their residential neighborhoods.
At the re-organization meeting on January 6, more than 100 residents came to express their concerns with New Jersey Natural Gas running a new 30-inch high-pressure transmission pipeline through residential neighborhoods to service Burlington and Ocean Counties.
The 28-mile pipeline would run from Chesterfield Township (Burlington County) through Upper Freehold (Monmouth County) and Plumsted Township (Ocean County) to connect to the utility system in Manchester (Ocean County).
New Jersey Natural Gas currently has a pipeline in Middlesex County and is said to be exploring new routes.
An opposition group called Families for Responsible Pipelines developed a website (www.responsiblepipeline.com) that highlights the projected roads to be impacted:
The Families for Responsible Pipelines website states, “NJ Natural Gas (NJNG) plans to construct a 30 inch high pressure transmission gas pipeline under the roads listed at the bottom of this page. NJNG has explored several routes and we are working to ensure that all responsible routes are considered. (responsible being reduced risk to people and environment). NJNG does not service our area of the state and we will gain no benefit from this, only the burden.”
Roads Impacted
• Archertown Road
• Applegate Lane
• Arneytown-Hornerstown Road
• Chesterfield-Arneytown Road
• Bordentown-Chesterfield Road
• Chesterfield-Crosswicks Road
• Chesterfield-Hornerstown Road
• Chesterfield-Jacobstown Road
• Harrison Road
• Highbridge Road
• Hill Road
• Hutchinson Road
• Lakewood Road
• Monmouth Road/Route 537
• Moorehouse Road
• Nicholas Court
• Paulson Road
• Provinceline Road
• Route 539
• West Colliers Mill Road
• US DEPT OF DEFENSE property
Although at this time no plans have been submitted to the Township Committee or Monmouth County, residents came out in force to express their concerns with running this pipeline through the above neighborhoods.
One by one, the Upper Freehold Township Committee expressed their opposition and stated that they needed more information.
“I’m 100 percent against this,” Upper Freehold Committee member Robert Faber, “I’m hitting on that 70-year mark in living in Upper Freehold Township and I was one of the first farmers to preserve my farm many, many years ago. I didn’t preserve it to have pipelines run through it.”
Former Mayor LoriSue Mount said, ““I will not ever be in favor of anything that will jeopardize the citizens of our community.”
Mount stated that it was the Township Committee’s responsibility to learn about the pipeline and to “understand that it’s a regional issue and understand that when we say we don’t want it here that we understand the consequences of moving it from one place to another. We have a responsibility to understand all of this and not just all of this. We have to understand this in its entirety.”
Newly appointed Deputy Mayor Dr Robert Frascella said, “I want to state on the record that I don’t want this pipeline in your backyard. I don’t want this in my backyard. I don’t want it in anyone’s backyard or in such close proximity to any residence. I hope that we find some way to reject this as a committee.”
“We directed our attorney and engineer to look into this. We are needing more information. We need to have all the facts. We have to have a unified front in order to fight this. I believe that our professionals will provide us with the answers we need. As a committee, we need to stand by our constituents and try to keep this out of our town because it has no place in Upper Freehold.”
“We do have to gather all of the facts. We have to be careful and we just have to keep it out of Upper Freehold. We have to make sure we do our homework.” Frascella said.
Committeeman Steve Alexander also expressed that he would vote in a manner that is consistent with the will of the Township residents stressing that this Township Committee does their homework.
“We make the right decisions and will not be intimidated by a utility,” Alexander said. He continued, “I don’t want to exchange a residential for a farm. That’s why we all came here. We have to be careful. We have to make sure we do our homework.”
Mayor Stanley Moslowski expressed his thoughts stating that the idea came to the attention of the Township Committee at their last meeting and the three committee officials present at the meeting were against it.
“I was firmly against it. I couldn’t imagine in my wildest dreams how they can put it down a residential street 50-75 feet from someones door. It was just ludicrous.”
The mayor also reiterated that it is not appropriate for the residential neighborhoods of Upper Freehold but they needed more information from NJ Natural Gas.
Assemblyman Ron Dancer who represents four municipalities that the proposed gas line would go through, also spoke assuring residents that he has been in contact with the Mayor and the Township officials on this topic.
Dancer recommended that in addition to voicing opposition to the local Upper Freehold officials, they should also express their concerns to the County Freeholders of Monmouth, Ocean and Burlington Counties because they issue the road opening permits.
Dancer believes this matter could go to the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) for their approval or denial. Dancer said that BPU will review this for “the greater good of the State of New Jersey.”
Dancer said he will introduce a bill in the State Assembly and urge the Senate to do the same.
“BPU members will hopefully hear the voices both locally and from the state legislature representing the entire state of New Jersey that we do not need pipelines in residential neighborhoods,” Dancer said.
John Inzilla, co-founder of Families for Responsible Pipelines said, “This is not – I repeat, not – a ‘not in my backyard’ situation,” “We don’t believe that it is acceptable for this type of line to be in anyone’s backyard or front yard for that matter.”
“I hope that this large crowd reinforces the will of our residents to partner with the township against this pipeline,” he said. “I emphasize this pipeline because our group is not against clean energy, natural gas, and pipelines in general. We’re simply against putting them in the wrong and irresponsible places.”