Carbon County Commissioners are the latest group to weigh in on a draft environmental impact statement for the proposed PennEast pipeline.

In a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Friday, the three-member governing body encouraged FERC to withdraw its impact statement until "all necessary factual data and comments from all impacted landowners, concerned community members and environmental advocates … are received."FERC issued its draft environmental impact statement in July and determined the proposed 118-mile natural gas pipeline would have a "less-than-significant level of impact" if mitigation measures were followed.If approved by FERC, the pipeline would run through Kidder, Penn Forest, Towamensing and Lower Towamensing townships on its way from Luzerne County to Mercer County, New Jersey."As intervenors, we would like to point out the pipeline, as proposed, will have significant impacts on natural resources located within Carbon County including the Francis E. Walter Dam, Hickory Run State Park, Beltzville State Park and the City of Bethlehem Wild Creek Watershed," county commissioners wrote.The deadline for public comment on the environmental impact statement is Monday. Comments can be submitted through FERC's website.According to the county commissioners, Carbon's Office of Planning and Development performed an initial comprehensive planning review of the permit application for the proposed pipeline.The review stated the proposed project is not consistent with the goals and objectives of the Carbon County Comprehensive Plan and Greenway Plan, and local land use and land development ordinances.A maximum 47,700-horsepower compressor station is planned near Route 940 and Interstate 80 in Kidder Township.Commissioners said, to date, no land development plan or application to the Kidder Township Planning Commission or township supervisors for the construction of the compressor station has been submitted for compliance with multiple township ordinances."Further, the project is utilizing eminent domain to force property owners in Carbon County to sell pipeline easements, even though this pipeline is being constructed for private profit," commissioners added."In our opinion, eminent domain should not be conferred to a private company which will be making a profit to take private and preserved lands, unless a clear public need is established. FERC has the responsibility to first verify a public need before proceeding with the environmental impact statement and certification."Several months ago, U.S. Congressman Matt Cartwright called for an evidentiary hearing to "determine the legitimate need" for the pipeline.State Sen. John Yudichak, however, urged approval for the pipeline in February, saying it would alleviate some of the natural gas bottlenecks in Pennsylvania and elsewhere.Pending regulatory approval from FERC, PennEast has an estimated in-service date of the second half of 2018.