Williams Partners announced a new route for its proposed natural gas pipeline in Lancaster County that will shift it away from two nature preserves. But protesters flooded an open house Wednesday night held by the company at Millersville University.Williams Partners says the new route could still change again and they are listening to public feedback.”We’ve heard a lot of good feedback and specifically in Lancaster County, we’ve heard a lot of sensitivity around the Tucquan Glen, Shenk’s Ferry area,” says Chris Stockton, spokesman for Williams Partners. ” Our goal tonight is number one to listen, this whole exercise, it’s an opportunity for us to gather information.”
Engineers spoke to people about their concerns as they reviewed the new map.
“Now they’re giving us this, which is less bad,” says Ken Foster of Columbia of the new route, “And we’re going to think, oh this is good, and it’s not, it’s just less bad.”
“This is BS, because they don’t care, they just smile and they try to calm me down because I’m a hysterical homeowner,” says Nancy Jeffries, whose property is near the proposed pipeline.
A group of protesters staged a sit-in in the gymnasium where the open house was held, chanting “Go Home Williams.” FERC will decide whether to approve the pipeline when they receive the finalized application next year. A spokeswoman says they’ve already received more comments than usual about this pipeline.
“Probably at least 600 comments, so far, and that’s a good many for this early on this project,” says Jennifer Kerrigan, environmental project manager at FERC.