The Kidder Township Board of Supervisors will act as an intervener before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to protest a proposed gas pipeline.

The PennEast Pipeline Company has filed a pre-filing proposal with FERC for review. The proposed pipeline will run from the fracking location in the Dallas area to Hopewell Township, New Jersey.The proposed route will transect parts of Kidder Township.The proposed route enters Kidder just above Jack Frost Ski Area and runs along Jack Frost National Golf Club, crosses Routes 940 and 80, enters into Hickory Run State Park and eventually crosses Route 534, where it enters Penn Forest Township.PennEast has made an effort to align the new pipeline along a corridor which currently houses existing pipelines where possible.This route will likely result in the loss of homes, investment property and future revenue for residents and businesses in the township.No-win situation"This is a no-win situation for our township and residents," said Kidder Township Supervisor Larry Polansky at a previous township board of supervisors meeting. "The gas from this pipeline is for sale in New Jersey. Our citizens will not derive any benefit from it at all."Polansky told residents at the time, "I hear everything you are saying. But my greatest fear is that we can't do anything."The township is now taking a more proactive role.During this month's meeting, the board adopted a resolution that gives the township the right to intervene and "take such action in the course of the regulatory process to protect the interests of the township and its residents."According to the resolution, the 50-foot permanent and 100-foot temporary right of way required for the pipeline will pass through or substantially near, a number of designated nature areas including Francis E. Walter Dam, Mosey Wood Wetlands, Lake Harmony, Big Boulder Lake and Ski Area, Jack Frost National Golf Club and Ski Area and Mud Run Natural Area.The township's concerns include the possible detriment to underground water supplies, noting that township residents rely on "pure and abundant well water" with little or no access to treated water.Other concerns are the lessening of property values, negative environmental impacts and economic loss to the resort industry."The important thing is we will be on the record and we will be testifying," Polansky said.Compressor stationOne concern, also addressed by Blue Ridge Real Estate Company, owners of Jack Frost National Golf Club, is the compressor station that is currently proposed to be constructed between Route 940 and Jack Frost Mountain.The compressor station, which operates at 32,745 horsepower, will be within 1,500 feet of much of the golf course and a portion of a proposed, future residential development in the area.Concerns with the compressor station include emissions and safety. Blue Ridge's comments to FERC address mainly the issue of the noise levels attributed to the day to day operations of the station.While FERC and the Environmental Protection Agency both permit noise levels on federal projects to reach 55 decibels, the supervisors and Blue Ridge are both concerned that the operating levels of the station will exceed permitted levels.Blue Ridge, through its attorney Derald Hay of Fox Rothschild, submitted its comments to FERC in early January.Blue Ridge is encouraging PennEast to move the compressor station south of Route 940 on other property which is also owned by Blue Ridge.According to the company's letter, Blue Ridge recently met with a representative from PennEast and requested that PennEast consider constructing the compressor station closer to Interstate 80."Blue Ridge believes that the Proposed Relocation would mitigate most, if not all, of the potential negative noise impacts the compressor station will have on the health and welfare of the community."On Tuesday, Polansky submitted comments to FERC on behalf of the township also urging a change of the compressor station location.Water and parks"Placing the compressor station in the original location will prohibit development," he wrote. "It would be right in the middle of a 1,075-unit residential development and would severely impact the desirability of the development."Polansky also questioned why Kidder was chosen for the station in the first place."It is our understanding that although Kidder is one-fourth of the distance from intake to outtake of the pipeline, it was chosen to host the compressor station," he said."Logic leads us to question why the station shouldn't be located halfway, perhaps requiring a smaller station to move the gas 54 miles instead of 84 miles."Another area of the township which will be heavily impacted by the pipeline is an area of Old Stage Road. Just north of Route 534, between St. Paul's Lutheran Church and Hickory Run State Park, a section of homes is directly in the path of the current proposed route.Losing home?Cathy and Charles Weber have lived adjacent to the existing petroleum pipeline that crosses their property since Charles built the home to reside in during his retirement."I was planning on spending my retirement in my modest little house, on my modest little property in this modest little town," Charles Weber said. "Now, I just don't know if any of that is possible."The Webers own 20 acres bordering Hickory Run. Most of their property is designated "Clean and Green-Forest Preserve."The Webers' property has two aquifers that cross it. The proposed route for the pipeline would disturb both."Both of the aquifers feed into Holiday Pocono's lake. Once they are disrupted, how can you know that they will still be viable sources of water for the lake?" Weber said.The Webers are not kidding themselves into thinking that they can do anything to stop the pipeline. They do believe that by being involved they may be able to influence those making the decisions to make good decisions."Since it appears that we can't stop the pipeline, we wish to influence them to use the best methods and the least negative impact routes for the residents of Kidder Township," Cathy Weber added.