People on both sides of the pipeline issue turned out to testify Wednesday night at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection hearing for a clean air certificate for the proposed PennEast pipeline compressor station to be located in Kidder Township.

The compressor station will be on a tract of land that runs between routes 940 and 80 and will be accessed from Route 940 at Industrial Way.DEP was represented by Mark Wejkszner, program manager for air quality, and Ray Kamp, permit chief in the Air Quality Division in the Wilkes-Barre regional office.Linda Christman of Save Carbon County organized a rally of those in opposition to the pipeline before the hearing.Christman testified that the harm that will be caused by the pipeline far outweighs the benefits, and particularly that the local area will not benefit in any measurable way from the project."Even the New Jersey Rate Council stated that PennEast has yet to prove that there is a need for this pipeline," said Christman. "This should be dismissed and put to rest."Michael Sauers dedicated his testimony to his late wife, Carola."She would have been right here, front and center," he said. "The PennEast pipeline lends legitimacy to fracking and it violates the conservation clause of the Pennsylvania constitution. I demand you uphold the Pennsylvania constitution."Kenneth Collins from Andover, New Jersey, owns a home in Split Rock."We breathe in the toxic air that PA produces already in New Jersey," Collins said. "I own at Split Rock and I will sell if the PennEast pipeline goes through."This pipeline is not going to be built in New Jersey," he added. "Property owners, do not let PennEast on your land, I am telling you, it works."Compressor stationLucy Freck asked why a natural gas powered compressor station is being considered when compressor stations powered by electricity are the most current technology. Freck said more than 300 compressor stations are in Pennsylvania and that the DEP should be looking at the cumulative effects of all the compressor stations combined, rather than on a case-by-case basis.Brendon Lee detailed the types and amounts of pollutants identified in the environmental statements submitted by PennEast to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. According to Lee, the compressor station will emit 190,975 metric tons of airborne pollutants and greenhouse gases yearly. Lee called for the DEP to also conduct a cumulative study on the impact of compressor stations on wildlife, the environment and on the human population.Ann Marshall came all the way from Bucks County to make her point to the DEP that she does not believe that eminent domain should be used to further corporate gains, especially when the project is not in the public interest."Ninety percent of this gas is going to be sold back to the gas company itself according to its application," Marshall said.Others like Sandra Wooferman disputed PennEast's impact study with regard to endangered species in the area.Brendon Fogel, who operates a business dependent on tourists, said he's concerned that the pollutants and smells will impact negatively on those who come to the area to take part in outdoor recreational activities.Mark Zakutansky, a Carbon County resident and director of Conservation Policy Engagement for the Appalachian Mountain Club, also said he disagrees with PennEast's decision to use a natural gas powered compressor rather than the modern technology of an electric-powered station.Zakutansky is concerned with the outdoor recreational community and those who exercise outdoors breathing in the pollutants that are expected to be released into the air by the compressor station.Speakers on behalf of the Clean Air Council also addressed the same concerns, as did a number of other speakers.SupportAbraham Amoros, legislative director of the Laborer's International Union of North America, praised PennEast for designing a pipeline that only used one compressor station, thereby cutting back on the amount of possible pollutants.Amoros said the design would actually decrease air pollution because the natural gas would be cleaner than other fossil fuels used by the electric powered station.Kevin Sunday, representing a labor organization, also supports the application because he believes that the pipeline will create more jobs for Pennsylvanians.Jeff Logan, president of the Pennsylvania Chemical Industry Council, stood in support of the project."Industry needs a robust natural gas infrastructure," Logan said. "We need an affordable and reliable gas supply."Logan said that the reduced energy costs would create thousands of jobs.David Horn and Jacob Hyder spoke on behalf of the laborers of the Laborer's International Union of North America in favor of the pipeline.No one from PennEast testified at the hearing, but the company issued a statement Wednesday night."Today's PA DEP hearing was another step forward in the project's nearly three-year regulatory review," said Pat Kornick, spokeswoman for PennEast Pipeline. "The PennEast pipeline project will help continue the increased use of natural gas, which is reducing American carbon dioxide emissions to levels not seen in 25 years, according to federal data. The PennEast pipeline's compressor station is a vital component to safely delivering clean natural gas to families and businesses and will bolster this positive environmental trend."Kornick also made a statement regarding compliance with federal regulations."The PennEast pipeline will not result in significant air quality impacts, a fact, confirmed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in its draft Environmental Impact Statement," Kornick said. "As FERC also noted, PennEast has the potential to improve regional air quality as the additional natural gas it will deliver to users displaces more polluting fuels."The DEP intends to keep the comment period open until March 10. The department's decision will be rendered after that date.