Conclusion

Summary

The purpose of this project was to create a website to help local citizens understand the implications of the recently proposed PennEast natural gas pipeline in Northampton County. The Marcellus Shale has the ability to provide an abundant  supply of natural gas to not only the United States but also the rest of the world. Due to this PennEast Pipeline Company has proposed a transmission pipeline, starting from the Marcellus Shale, to bring this commodity to the market. However, the PennEast pipeline proposal is not the first of its kind. The Atlantic Sunrise pipeline was proposed by the Williams Partners and is about a year ahead of the PennEast pipeline in permitting and planning, but the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has yet to approve the plan. The Keystone XL pipeline is a transnational pipeline that has caused major national debates and has set precedents with the national government in terms of votes on pipelines. In its own way, PennEast intends to inform communities about the pipeline. They even submitted a Public Participation Plan in their FERC pre-filing document, showing that they intend to reach out to stakeholders.

Environmental policy is the main obstruction to pipeline construction and a tool that landowners often use in negotiations with pipeline companies. Much of the environmental policy in the United States today stems from the movement that began in the 1960s that led to the Clean Air Act in 1963 and the Clean Water Act in 1972. This legislation still affects pipelines today. One of the most important policy elements related to pipelines is the FERC approval process which is currently ongoing. It requires PennEast to submit a detailed plan of the permitting and construction processes along with a set of Environmental Resource Reports. FERC has also created a document that explains the pipeline construction process and outlines the responsibilities of affected landowners. There are a number of policies relevant to pipelines and they are important to understand because they can have a substantial effect on the approval process.

PennEast plans to construct a 36-inch diameter pipeline stretching across 108.8 miles from Luzerne County, PA to Mercer County, NJ. They also plan to construct a lateral pipeline in Northampton County terminating in Hellertown. PennEast has reported that they will clear a 100-ft right of way (ROW) corridor during construction, 50 feet of which will remain as a permanent easement around the pipeline. This ROW may have serious environmental impacts including erosion and sedimentation that could affect nearby surface water quality as well as forest fragmentation that could harm wildlife. Additionally, pipelines and compressor stations release harmful pollutants into the air including methane, which is a greenhouse gas. However, it is unclear whether these pollutants are released at levels dangerous to human health or not. Pipeline incidents, such as leaks and ruptures, have resulted in significant property damage as well as some injuries and even deaths. Pipelines and their construction have many potentially adverse impacts on the environment and human health, but they are built to provide economic benefits.

The PennEast pipeline may generate a numerous jobs for its operation and maintenance as well as the temporary influx of jobs and money to the surrounding areas during construction. It is also anticipated to lower the price of natural gas significantly. It will likely be a very costly project for PennEast. We performed several analyses of the cost of construction and found that the total cost of the project could be around $35 million, $166 million, or, as stated by PennEast, $1 billion. These analyses account for the cost of materials, labor, surveying, engineering, supervision, contingencies, telecommunications equipment, freight, taxes, allowances for funds used during construction, administration and overhead, regulatory fees, ROW, and allowances for damages. Clearly, PennEast will be investing a large amount of money in this pipeline and it may provide substantial economic benefits.

Next Steps

The main issue for the future of our project is the maintenance of the website. In order for the website to continue to be a useful educational tool, it must be updated frequently. This is because the PennEast pipeline issue is still in its early stages and is experiencing rapid developments. To ensure that the website remains up to date, each semester a student intern should maintain it as a semester-long project. This student intern should work under the guidance and supervision of Engineering Studies professors and the Nurture Nature Center. The administrator account for this website should be shared between Lafayette College and the Nurture Nature Center to make this possible.

Future areas of consideration for the updates include the social, policy, technical, and economic developments of the PennEast Pipeline issue. The intern must add information on new advocacy groups and events, changes in relevant policies that may affect the pipeline, policy actions related to the pipeline, and FERC approval or rejection of the proposal. News of advocacy events and policy actions should be added to the website’s news feed, while new policies or changes to current policy would necessitate the adjustment of the Policy Analysis section of the website. Updates should also include new research on the potential environmental risks of the PennEast pipeline or natural gas pipelines in general, new developments in pipeline technology or construction techniques that PennEast plans to use, and new economic details for the estimate of costs and benefits. In the future, more information will be available on the environmental and economic effects of the pipeline so the Technical and Economic Analysis sections of the website may need to be updated. The website should also be altered accordingly if there are any important changes in the United States economy or natural gas market. The maintenance of this website will be a large project that should continue for years unless PennEast becomes unable to construct the pipeline.

There are some possible limitations of student intern administrators. Due to the intern changing each semester, there may be problems with the consistency of the website. While the supervision of the Engineering Studies professors should help reduce this problem, future student interns will have to be very careful about any changes they make. Updates should conform to the style of the rest of the website and may be best included as new fact sheets or small additions to a specific section depending on the situation. As some information on the website becomes obsolete, it may need to be replaced or removed. This is a challenging issue because it involves the deletion of others’ work. Student interns must understand that much of the website’s content will likely need to be revised as new information is available, including their own contributions. To ensure that all work on this website survives, any changes should be recorded on an archives page. This page will not only preserve the work of all prior contributors, but will also provide a timeline depicting how the website and pipeline issue developed over time.

Final Statement

Energy consumption and production is a global public problem for modern day society. The PennEast Company proposal breaks down that global public problem into a local problem, specifically for residents of Northampton County. The website we have created will serve as an informative and educational tool that will help residents of Northampton County. The website provides information ranging to historical context to technical details of the proposal. Members of advocacy groups, or any interested individuals, may choose to visit the website to learn more and tell others about it. Both Lafayette College and the Nurture Nature Center can help to increase public awareness of the website by spreading the news. While updates and awareness pose significant challenges, if they are overcome the website will help the public understand the issue of the PennEast pipeline, stay informed as it progresses, and develop their own opinions.