The fight to block a natural gas pipeline from being built in our region continues.
Lebanon Pipeline Awareness Organizers will hold a meeting Tuesday evening at the Annville Municipal Building about a proposal to build a high-pressure natural gas pipeline through the county.
The Central Penn South Line Project could impact a lot of people from Schuylkill to Lebanon and Lancaster County.
It’s all part of the Transco Pipeline running from New York to Texas, and people are not happy about it.
Some say it’s a coincidence… people received letters from the company on a day the group Lancaster Against Pipelines scheduled a meeting last week.
“I’m furious, they just come in and do what they want to do,” says Nancy Jeffries, who received a letter from Williams Partners.
The letters explain that Williams Partners wants to survey residents properties for the proposed Central Penn South Pipeline, meaning this unwanted pipeline could cut through or near their land.
“It’s not benefiting anybody in Lancaster County at all, and my impression of eminent domain was that people needed to benefit,” says Jeffries.
People are not only concerned about their property, but their safety as well.
“I thought about explosions, I thought well what does that mean for the future if we wanted to develop our property,” says Debbie Swanson, who also received a letter from Williams Partners.
Those that could be affected say the pipeline will run at a higher pressure than usual.
“We’re dealing with an almost experimental situation here and past explosions have been absolutely devastating,” says Luke Bunting from Lancaster.
The proposed pipeline is meant to be a shortcut for the Transco Pipeline already running from New York to Texas.
If built, the pipeline would run though Schuylkill, Lebanon, and Lancaster Counties.
Those against the project want the company to widen the existing pipeline, instead of building a new one.
“A lot of pipelines a lot of greed, I think it all comes down to money,” says Jeffries.
Williams Partners told FOX43 in a statement, “The safety of the pipeline is the most important aspect of our operations, for the Central Penn Line, we are exceeding federal safety regulations in a number of important areas.”
But homeowners say, no pipeline, is the safest of all.