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North Branch Trout Derby draws record attendance

George Spohr: Leaving the light on for our new publisher

New pipelines will snake across Luzerne County and much of the commonwealth in coming years, though the exact pace and path will, in certain cases, depend on you.Area residents in the pipelines&#8217; proposed pathways and other people concerned about the implications of a broader network of natural gas transmission lines should speak up &#8211; early and often. Your feedback is sought by federal regulators and pipeline companies, both of which aim to minimize hazards. Even Gov. Tom Wolf wants public input.Late last month, Wolf announced the pending creation of a <a href="http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/pipeline_infrastructure_task_force/22066" target="_blank">Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force</a>. Former Hazleton Mayor John Quigley, the state&#8217;s newly confirmed secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, will serve as the group&#8217;s chairman. Interested individuals are urged to <a href="https://www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/PITF/PITFApplication/Create" target="_blank">apply</a>.The task force will include state lawmakers as well as representatives from &#8220;federal and local governments, the pipeline and natural gas industries and environmental groups, among others,&#8221; according to the governor&#8217;s announcement.Anthony Cox, a project manager for PennEast Pipeline Co., told the Times Leader&#8217;s Opinion Board during a meeting Thursday that &#8220;we hope to be part of that process.&#8221; However, said Cox, he doesn&#8217;t expect the task force to have any bearing on the <a href="http://penneastpipeline.com/" target="_blank">PennEast project</a> &#8211; a proposed 114-mile pipeline extending from Luzerne County&#8217;s Back Mountain region into New Jersey.If the project gains approval from the <a href="http://www.ferc.gov/" target="_blank">Federal Energy Regulatory Commission</a>, PennEast aims to begin pipeline construction in 2017, Cox said. In addition to other outreach efforts, the company has met with willing landowners to perform field studies and conducted invitation-only information sessions for groups of up to 75 people.Landowners will be paid for required easements; agents acting for PennEast are expected to start making preliminary offers this month, though the route is still subject to change.Opponents of natural gas production and other observers have raised concerns about the necessity and safety of more high-volume pipelines. The projects &#8211; five of which are on the drawing board in Luzerne County &#8211; are certain to cause flareups over environmental matters as well as private-property rights.Another 4,000 to 5,000 miles of transmission-type pipelines could be constructed in Pennsylvania over the next decade, Quigley said in a news release. Add to that 25,000 miles of smaller, gathering lines that help to move natural gas from wells in the fuel-rich Marcellus Shale region to high-volume transmission routes.That a pipeline task force only now is getting started reflects how Harrisburg so far has handled oversight of the state&#8217;s fast-charging natural gas industry: belatedly.Nevertheless, area residents should take advantage of every opportunity to be heard.During field studies in which PennEast workers visit a property, for instance, landowners can point out potential features that might compel a pipeline to be rerouted significantly or slightly. Among the considerations: wetlands, wells and septic tanks.&#8220;We certainly don&#8217;t want to find out about that,&#8221; said Cox, &#8220;when we have a bulldozer ready to go.&#8221;

Our Opinion: Pipe up about natural gas pipeline expansion in parts of Luzerne County