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The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection set four public hearings on the permit applications for the proposed Atlantic Sunrise pipeline project designed to carry locally extracted natural gas to East Coast markets.Two of the hearings will be held in Tunkhannock and Bloomsburg next month and coincide with the comment period that begins Saturday for feedback on applications submitted by Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Co. LLC.The proposed pipeline runs through Luzerne, Wyoming, Columbia, Susquehanna, Clinton, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lycoming, Northumberland and Schuylkill counties enroute to markets in the Mid-Atlantic and southeastern states.The hearings will focus on the applications dealing with water obstruction and encroachments, and erosion and sediment control general permit for earth disturbance associated with oil and gas activities. They are required for activities such as the pipeline that would be located in, across or project into a floodway, stream, river or body of water, including a wetland and when five acres or more of earth is disturbed during the construction.DEP engineers and biologists are conducting a technical review to ensure the applications meet applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.&#8220;We want to provide the public, especially those living near the pipeline route, with the opportunity to review permit applications and provide thoughtful, critical, and constructive feedback to aid in our technical review,&#8221; DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell said in a prepared statement. &#8220;DEP is committed to an open and transparent review process and takes public input very seriously as we review the permit applications.&#8221;The hearings are scheduled to run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the following dates:&#8226; June 12 &#8212; Tunkhannock Middle School Auditorium, Tunkhannock Middle School, 200 Franklin Ave., Tunkhannock&#8226; June 12 &#8212; Max Smith Auditorium, Lancaster Farm and Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Rd., Lancaster&#8226; June 13 &#8212; Bloomsburg High School Auditorium, Bloomsburg High School, 1200 Railroad St., Bloomsburg&#8226;June 14 &#8212; Lutz Hall, Lebanon Valley College, 101 College Ave., AnnvilleTo register for a hearing contact:&#8226; For the Tunkhannock Middle School - Colleen Connolly, Northeast Regional Office, (570) 826-2035, coconolly@pa.gov&#8226; For the Lancaster Farm and Home Center, Bloomsburg High School, Lebanon Valley College locations - Megan Lehman, North-Central Regional Office, (570) 327-3659, meglehman@pa.govThe notices for the applications and the Notice of Intent will be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on Saturday. DEP will accept written comments on the Water Obstruction and Encroachment permit applications and NOI through June 26.To enable the public to readily review the revised applications and responses to technical deficiencies the DEP has posted a copy of the application material to its web page. This information can be found at tinyurl.com/ybws9g8n.Comments on the applications and NOI can be emailed or sent via postal mail to the following addresses:Counties: Lancaster, Lebanon, Northumberland and ColumbiaDepartment of Environmental ProtectionNorth-Central Regional OfficeWaterways and Wetlands Program208 W. 3rd Street, Suite 101Williamsport, PA 17701RA-EPWW-NCRO@PA.GOVCounties: Schuylkill, Luzerne, Wyoming and SusquehannaPA Department of Environmental ProtectionNortheast Regional OfficeWaterways and Wetlands Program2 Public SquareWilkes-Barre, PA 18701RA-EPWW-NERO@PA.GOV<style>
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DEP schedules local public hearings on proposed Atlantic Sunrise pipeline