Local and out-of-state community groups will gather to prepare for opposition to the upcoming PennEast/UGI pipeline project early next week.

Save Carbon County, Homeowners Against Land Takings, and the New Jersey Conservation Foundation will be holding the special meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Towamensing Fire Company.The focal point will be the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, which was published by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on July 22.The groups wish to educate residents and affected parties in preparation for the 48-day comment period for the DEIS. In addition, attendees will be instructed on testimony for the hearing to be held on Aug. 15 at Penn's Peak.The groups are seeking to force FERC to withdraw the impact statement until necessary environmental information is made available."Our group had volunteers checking the pipeline mile by mile, taking pictures and evaluating; 28 percent of the wetlands along the route in Pennsylvania have not been surveyed (by PennEast/UGI)," said Linda Christman, Towamensing resident and spokeswoman for Save Carbon County."There are seven threatened and endangered species that will be affected by this pipeline. They know that."They will also request an extension to the comment period, and evaluate problems and missing information in the impact statement."It feels like they're doing this on the fly. The DEIS is 1,700 pages, and it's very technical. It's literally 4.5 inches thick, double-sided, and it's very intimidating to people who are not professionals, but volunteers. We need time," Christman said.As for the missing information, Christman said, " 'We'll get you the information later, we'll get you the survey later.' That's what they tell us."HALT's Mike Spille, a New Jersey resident, will lead the meeting, and instruct those in attendance about commenting and testimony for the greatest impact.Harrisburg resident and Lavery Law Firm attorney Peter Carfley will begin the meeting, answering legal questions about the case.Training for comments and testimony will run from 7 to 8 p.m.