A task force charged with creating a plan to manage pipeline construction in Pennsylvania wants the public's input.

The state's Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force has been formulating a report that will be presented to Gov. Tom Wolf in February. A draft of the report was recently put online for public review.Residents have the opportunity to comment on the report through Tuesday, Dec. 29. It is available online at (http://files.dep.state.pa.us/ProgramIntegration/PITF/Meetings/11-18-15/Governor%27s%20Pipeline%20Infrastructure%20Task%20Force%20DRAFT%20Report.pdf)Residents can make comments at (http://www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/eComment/)According to the draft report, The PITF was formed to address the significant amount of pipeline construction that will take place over the next decade to serve products from thousands of natural gas wells around the state.The report contains hundreds of pages of recommendations. Most of them are aimed at improving the safety and efficiency of pipelines, whether it's during the construction phase, or maintenance.The committee is made up of 48 members, including legislative leaders, cabinet members, pipeline industry executives, and officials from virtually every level of government. Some have said that it relies too much on people from inside the gas industry.Roy Christman, a retired environmental studies professor who lives near and opposes the proposed PennEAST pipeline, said that the report contains many good recommendations."The final report does contain some good suggestions to lessen the problems and improve the safety of pipeline development," Christman said.But he is concerned that the recommendations in the report will never be taken seriously, because of the close relationship between many legislators and the gas industry. He said the task force must be able to convert those recommendations into real laws and policies in order to have a meaningful impact on the industry."They don't care about bog turtles, preserved farms or forest fragmentation," Christman said of pipeline companies. "They will not follow the recommendations unless forced to by laws and regulations.Christman said because those laws are ultimately written by legislators who receive significant campaign contributions from the very gas companies the bill regulates, it is unlikey that will happen."Campaign contributions will ensure a favorable reception by the very legislators who would need to pass laws and regulations recommended by the PITF to rein in the pipeline companies," he said.