It was a night of mixed opinions Tuesday at the Aquashicola Fire Company for the last of four PennEast Pipeline Company "open houses."

The 250- to 300-person crowd, made up of everyone from landowners to laborers jockeying for a future construction contract, was looking to get answers and support their views on a proposed 108-mile natural gas pipeline that would cut through Towamensing, Lower Towamensing, Penn Forest and Kidder townships on its way from Wilkes-Barre to New Jersey."We held these open houses to provide an opportunity to talk one-on-one with experts in the fields of safety, environment, engineering and construction, and cultural resources," said Patricia Kornick, project spokeswoman. "This is an atmosphere that allows landowners, or other guests, to visit the area they are most interested in learning more about."Land agents were positioned on both sides of the fire hall ready to type a landowner's address into a computer and show them exactly where their property was located in comparison to a 400-foot-wide survey area for the pipeline."We will work with landowners if they have concerns on their property with sewers, wells or trees they planted to commemorate children," Kornick said. "We can work with them if they allow us to come survey, to try and avoid those resources by shifting to left or right within the corridor. We only need 50 feet for our permanent right of way."The 36-inch pipeline has a projected in-service date of November 2017. PennEast is currently in the pre-filing stage of the project.Jesse Mendez, a Lower Towamensing Township supervisor, said he went to the open house to try to get more information for his residents."It is going to impact people's lives," he said. "I certainly understand their concern. This is our first real chance to gather information. I think there are pros and cons. We'll see if PennEast decides to approach the township for our position."Similarly, Kathy Henderson, director of the Carbon Chamber and Economic Development, said she wasn't taking a position on the pipeline."I'm looking to find out how it will benefit us economically and if it will bring permanent jobs to the county," she said. "I'm keeping an open mind."That wasn't the case for everyone in attendance.Robert Elkins of Kidder Township said he doesn't favor any situation where a company can come in and take land by eminent domain."I just don't think it's a good thing for the environment and I don't care what anyone says, property values are going to suffer," he said.Outside the fire hall, members of the Concerned Citizens Against The Pipeline spoke out against the pipeline."Private corporations using eminent domain is one issue of concern, but then you also have the environmental concerns," said Sam Koplinka-Loehr of the Clean Air Council. "Carbon County is likely going to be home to a 35,000-horsepower compressor station which will be right next to Blue Mountain Ski Resort. The local air quality is going to be impacted and people who live in the vicinity can suffer from headaches, nosebleeds and other problems. These stations emit formaldehyde, which isn't good for anyone."PennEast has not confirmed where the compressor station would be located.Kornick said the company is trying to ease the concern of residents."One of the things we are doing is looking at co-locating and using an existing utility right of way wherever possible," she said. "Right now, around 30 percent of the pipeline would be co-located."The fire hall was also filled with maps Tuesday depicting close to 50 environmental factors along the route such as wetlands, floodplains and areas of contamination. Kornick said PennEast intends to use the information in an attempt to "thread the needle and weave the pipeline around those areas."PennEast also brought an example of the American-made steel that would be used to build the pipeline."I think people generally think of pipelines as flimsy and lightweight, but that isn't the case," Kornick said.One group hoping to see the pipeline go in is the Laborers' International Union Local 158. About 20 union members dressed in orange attended the open house."If it does happen to go through, we'd really like to get the work," said Dave Horn. "We have the skilled, trained and professional workforce who have been doing this for years."Kornick said the next immediate steps are introducing other educational tools such as a newsletter and possibly hosting additional forums."They would be informal sessions," she said. "I think people feel most comfortable asking questions one-on-one as opposed to a large group setting.