Mahoning Township supervisors Wednesday night moved to form a committee to develop a resolution regarding the proposed PennEast pipeline and the possibility the township could be affected by it or future pipelines.

Chairman John Wieczorek is asking any interested residents to contact the Secretary Natalie Haggerty in the office at 570-386-4002.Township resident Sue Ann Levine, who appeared before the supervisors last month, told supervisors she discovered how PennEast could seize land by eminent domain."There is a Natural Gas Act that was passed in Pennsylvania in the 1930s to help the public utility commission install gas lines by allowing them to seize property, but that was for the public good," she said, contrasting that objective with PennEast's, which is a private company seeking to build a pipeline from the Marcellus shale fields to New Jersey.She said there is no local benefit.Levine also said the potential hazards from such a line including gas emissions into the air and the ground which could have an adverse effect on groundwater. She said all the heavy equipment brought in to build the pipeline could also have an unknown effect on the groundwater.She told supervisors there has been a great deal of opposition to the existing pipeline and the more people who speak out, the greater the effect on the regulatory agencies and the project."There's been quite a bit of opposition to the proposed pipeline which has already changed its route, and there is no guarantee a future route might not affect this side of the river."Currently there is no plan to run the pipeline through Mahoning Township, but Levine pointed out future lines could be developed.Levine said there is a hearing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission at Penn's Peak at 6 p.m. Wednesday to accept public comment and concerns about the hazards and damage that could be caused by the pipeline.Wieczorek said the latest edition of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors magazine stated they believed PennEast has the right to build and that agreements could be reached with affected municipalities, a view with which he expressed disagreement.He told the board he wanted to get copies of existing resolutions from the county and Towamensing Township to begin working on a resolution for Mahoning.Supervisor Bruce Steigerwalt said while the townships and municipalities can pass resolutions against the pipeline and its environmental impacts, there is little they can enforce as state and federal laws supersede local regulations."I think you need to pressure the state and federal governments to change the laws if you truly want to change this," he said to Levine.She told Steigerwalt they are also working on that.After Levine had left, the supervisors moved to form a committee to develop a resolution tailored to Mahoning Township residents and their concerns.In other business, Steigerwalt advised township residents that it is illegal to throw snow onto township roads during the winter and anyone caught doing so will be prosecuted. Supervisors also discussed sending a letter to a resident on Westside Road who has several vehicles parked on the road, causing difficulties for snowplows. They remind residents that in snowfalls over 3 inches, vehicles are not allowed on township roads or within 5 feet of the road until the roads are cleared.