Now that construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline has been approved by President Trump many concerns have arised such as who will be affected by the pipeline. One area in particular is the Missouri River. Many members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe have concerns over whether a not a spill could the pollute the area and affect the people living there. Another area closer to home could be affected too and that is because of the possible construction of The PennEast Pipeline. The PennEast Pipeline will stretch 120 miles through Pennsylvania and all the way to New Jersey. The official PennEast Pipeline website claims this pipeline will be an affordable energy source that will heat homes, fuel our electricity, and charge our smartphones but in reality, it’s doing more than that. The pipeline is supposed to cross through 88 waterways, 44 wetlands, 30 parks, and risk the destruction of many habitats that endangered species live in such as: Bald Eagles, Bobolinks, Harrier Hawks, Ospreys, Cormorants, Wood Turtles, Great Blue Herons, Bobcats, Long-Tailed Salamander and many other animals.
Some areas being affected are around the Lehigh Valley area. The route for the pipeline starts in Dallas Township and continue to many other townships such as: West Wyoming Borough, Plains Township, Kidder Township, Towamensing Township, Mahoning Township, Moore township, Bethlehem, Lower Saucon Township, and the list continues all the way until New Jersey.
In regards to why you should care, Saucon Township is about 30 minutes away from Kutztown meaning this could possibly affect you. The potential for this pipeline to mess up the environment around Kutztown is very high. Damage to water supplies and livestock all around town could possibly happen because of this pipeline running that close.
Many protests have been happening and you can also join the fight. One way is to join the CCAP also known as the Concerned Citizens Against the Pipeline. This is a group that opposes the proposed route of the PennEast Pipeline. Another way is to speak up. One Kutztown Graduate, Kayla Woodington, spoke at the Diversity Conference last week at Kutztown about the pipeline. Her opinion on the pipeline running through Pennsylvania is simple: “Environmental rights are human rights. Clean air and water is not only how the Earth survives, but how we as people survive.” You can also provide comments on the FERC website and make sure your voice is heard.
Don’t let the PennEast Pipeline website convince you that this is better for you. It will affect you and your environment. For more info check out the websites listed below:
CCAP: http://www.stoppenneast.org/index.php
PennEast Pipeline: http://penneastpipeline.com/overview/
FERC: https://www.ferc.gov/
More info on the Dakota Access Pipeline: http://www.hercampus.com/school/kutztown/fight-continues-standing-sioux