A group of concerned citizens who have asked for Carbon County's help in the past, again asked the commissioners for help fighting the proposed PennEast pipeline.

On Thursday, Cathy and Charles Weber of Albrightsville, Roy and Linda Christman of Lehighton and several other residents who will be affected by the pipeline route through Carbon County, brought more information to the board and urged the commissioners to use their intervener powers.Charles Weber presented a snapshot of the impact the pipeline route will have on just six homes, as well as a campground within a half-mile location.The properties are located along Old Stage Road.Weber said that those homes would lose land, trees and significant value as a result of the proposed route for the pipeline, which he said calls for creating a 50- to 100-foot trench.Of the homes outlined, Weber noted that three would probably be uninhabitable after the pipeline cuts through the properties because setback requirements for new septic systems would not be able to be met."All of us are concerned," Weber said, noting that bedrock is prevalent in Pennsylvania, meaning that dynamite would probably need to be used to create the line. "We don't know what that will do to our foundations ... to the two primary aquifers. How will it affect our water? How will it affect our general environment, the grass, the trees, the animals?"This is a significant impact for a handful of people. It's a big deal for us," Weber said, adding that he spoke with representatives from PennEast and provided other route options that wouldn't affect as many people. "Apparently they aren't considering it."Commissioner Thomas J. Gerhard seemed surprised by Weber's statement regarding the loss of homes."When we spoke to representatives from PennEast, they said no homes would be disturbed and no homes would be taken," he said.Weber responded that he received professional word with regard to septic and well requirements, and there wouldn't be enough room on those properties to meet those requirements once the pipeline is laid."No one should lose their properties," Gerhard said. "I think there is some conflicting information. It's their side and the public's side. I certainly wouldn't want anyone to lose their house."I think they should look at an alternate route that will be the least amount of impact on environment," Gerhard added. "I believe the pipeline will come through and I don't think we have the ability to stop that, but I want to see it done the right way, the safest way."Weber's wife, Cathy, representing the Kidder Township Environmental Advisory Council, then invited the commissioners to a closed meeting next week that aims to educate county and township officials about the economic value of the environment.Roy Christman also asked the commissioners to review Gov. Tom Wolf's Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force report, a 340-page report that looks at pipeline construction in the state and makes recommendations for improvements.Public comment on the report is permitted until Dec. 29 and can be found at

www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/ecomment.Commissioners' Chairman Wayne Nothstein said the commissioners would see what they can do with regard to providing a comment."If there is an alternate route that doesn't affect properties, we should send a letter asking them to look at that," he said.PennEast is planning to use a 100-foot-wide construction right of way for the 36-inch-diameter pipeline.The pipeline is expected to transport 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas supplies per day to users in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.The route of the line is slated to go through Lower Towamensing, Towamensing, Penn Forest and Kidder townships on its way from Wilkes-Barre to New Jersey.