Hoboken will officially join Jersey City and Bayonne in opposition to the proposed Spectra Gas Pipeline that is proposed to run through the latter two towns and near the Hoboken border.
The city intends to file with the federal government for intervenor status, making Hoboken an official stakeholder in the pipeline discussions.
A resolution put forth by Councilman Tim Occhipinti and seconded by Councilwoman Theresa Castellano passed unanimously at the Wednesday, Jan. 19 council meeting. It authorized Mayor Dawn Zimmer to take “any action necessary to intervene” in the application process by Spectra.
“There is no cost to the taxpayers,” Occhipinti said. “And it makes us a stakeholder in the process.”
“The more you learn about this, the more concerned and frightened you’ll be.” – Hoboken resident Lane Bajardi
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Spectra recently altered the route and depth of the pipeline, but it is still too close to residential neighborhoods to change some people’s minds.
Benefits and problems
The benefits of the program to Jersey City, as touted by Spectra, are $2.1 million in taxes the company would pay to the city during the lifetime of the pipeline and hundreds of jobs that would come with the construction.
Originally, the 15.5-mile pipeline was to run three feet under the ground. Now, the plan is to operate the pipeline 80 to 100 feet underground. Residents originally wanted the pipe to run underwater from Staten Island to Manhattan. In early January, Spectra’s project manager, Ed Gonzales, said an underwater route was considered but eliminated.
Zimmer has opposed the pipeline, joining Mayor Mark Smith of Bayonne and Mayor Jerramiah Healy of Jersey City. Although the pipeline would not cut through Hoboken, it skirts along the southern border of the city and enters the city limits under the Hudson River.
What Occhipinti and Castellano are concerned about is the possibility of a gas explosion, which they say would impact the 1st and 4th wards.
Zimmer has argued that Hoboken would not be able to sustain the inevitable shutdown of the PATH system should a disaster occur. Occhipinti first addressed the issue during his campaign in October, and promised to legislate against the pipeline if elected.
Before the vote on Wednesday, Councilman Ravinder Bhalla asked city attorney Mellissa Longo if there would be any cost to the city if litigation goes forward once the city enters intervenor status.
Longo said the litigation would be done in house with no additional cost to the city, and no plans to send it to outside counsel.
Residents weigh in
One Hoboken resident, Scott Siegel, spoke out in favor of the pipeline.
Siegel said there have been “major improvements in quality and safety standards” over the years, and that the creation of new pipelines should not be judged by recent explosions in older pipelines.
“This would be a really good jobs builder,” Siegel said. He also called the resolution put forth by Occhipinti a “jobs killer.”
Resident Lane Bajardi, who lives near the southern border, supported the resolution.
“One thing that people are coming together on is that this is not a good idea,” Bajardi said. “The more you learn about this, the more concerned and frightened you’ll be.”
Bajardi took a shot at a prior speaker: “[The blast zone] does not include Mr. Siegel’s home [uptown], but it does include my home.”
Spectra speaks
A representative from the East Rutherford-based MWW group, a public relation firm, released a statement to members of the press from Spectra Energy Spokesperson Marylee Hanley at the Wednesday council meeting.
“Spectra Energy, as we have with all other stakeholders, welcomes Hoboken City Council’s resolution to become an intervenor in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) process for what will be one of the safest pipelines ever built in North America. It is the best means of assuring that the concerns of Hoboken, and all stakeholders are addressed, and any misinformation or misperceptions are corrected on the record with the facts.”
Hanley said in the statement that “any assertions that the 4th Ward or any part of Hoboken is in harm’s way is also false.”
The pipeline bordering Hoboken will be three-quarters of an inch thick, almost double what is required, according to Hanley’s statement, and will be operated with remote controlled values and 24/7 electronic monitoring.
“It will be one of the safest gas pipeline ever built,” Hanley said.
Spectra filed its application with the FERC in late December. If approved, the pipeline will cost an estimated $850 million and is expected to be in service in November 2013.
Ray Smith may be reached at RSmith@hudsonreporter.com