Lower Towamensing Township is opposed to the construction of the proposed PennEast natural gas pipeline.

By a unanimous measure, the township's board of supervisors on Tuesday adopted a resolution that states they object to the construction and path of the proposed 114-mile pipeline, which would cut through Lower Towamensing, Towamensing, Penn Forest and Kidder townships on its way from Wilkes-Barre to New Jersey.Afterward, a crowd of about 15 residents clapped in support of the board's decision.However, resident Jay Mullikin was not among them."I think your support of that is wrong," Mullikin said.At that, Linda Christman of Towamensing Township offered her own retort.Christman said that other surrounding townships "have all adopted resolutions similar to this.""Thank you for standing up for your residents," Christman said.Mullikin then asked supervisors if they had any data to support their objections to the proposed pipeline.After the meeting, Mullikin said "any barrier or any concern can be worked out."The resolution adopted by supervisors states that the township:• Objects to the construction and current proposed path of the proposed PennEast pipeline, and that it also objects to the use of eminent domain to secure the rights of way for this project.• Will act as an "intervenor" through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regulatory process to preserve its ability to effectively represent the interests of the residents of the township, and that it will exercise careful fiscal oversight in this role.• Will forward a certified copy of the resolution to Gov. Tom Wolf; U.S. Sens. Robert Casey Jr. and Pat Toomey; state Sen. John Yudichak; state Rep. Doyle Heffley; and the Carbon County commissioners.The 36-inch pipeline has a projected in-service date of November 2017.PennEast is currently in the pre-filing stage.A copy of a resolution stating the township's opposition to the project was presented last month to supervisors by the residents who asked that they adopt it.Supervisors agreed at that time to have township solicitor Jim Nanovic review the resolution.Last month, the FERC held a public listening session at Penn's Peak to gather testimony to formulate an environmental-impact statement on the pipeline.About 125 people attended that session to give testimony, which was recorded and entered into record, along with other input from landowners and public agencies about the project.In November, PennEast held an open house at the Aquashicola Fire Company at which nearly 300 people, including landowners, sought answers about the proposed pipeline.