People with concerns about the proposed PennEast pipeline project are invited to attend a public information session from 9 to 9:30 a.m. Thursday at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center, located between Palmerton and Slatington.

Calling the event "The True Costs of the PennEast Gas Pipeline," organizers have lined up three speakers who will offer insight on matters they claim the gas company has not addressed.The company plans to construct a 108-mile, 36-inch diameter natural gas pipeline from Dallas, Luzerne County, to Mercer County, New Jersey, which will be operational by Nov. 1, 2017, if the proposed timetable remains in effect.Dan Kunkle, executive director of the Nature Center, will speak on the cost of the pipeline. Event organizers contend the PennEast Pipeline consortium issued a report from Drexel University stating that the proposed PennEast pipeline will be an economic boon to Pennsylvania, but the report did not say anything about the costs of the pipeline.Kunkle will answer that question.Kunkle and the Lehigh Gap Nature Center are well known for their groundbreaking work in restoring vegetation to the mountains surrounding Palmerton, which were denuded by years of zinc processing.In 2014, the center received the prestigious "Excellence in Site Reuse" award which recognizes the work that led to the redevelopment of a major portion of the Palmerton Zinc Superfund Site into a wildlife preserve and habitat.Also on the agenda will be Bill Mineo, PhD, who will talk about the full economic impact of the pipeline.Mineo is the former stewardship and trails manager for the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, a recreational and historic resource that has benefited both the environment and the local economy.Linda Christman, an affected landowner, will be on hand to introduce the speakers and talk about the pipeline approval process and the impact upon landowners.