On Thursday, PennEast Pipeline Company presented the Lehigh Valley Chapter of Pink Heals with a $5,000 grant to assist ongoing local fund raising for local women and their families who are affected by a range of health issues.
“Lehigh Valley Pink Heals helps local women facing not only cancer, but domestic violence, multiple sclerosis and more,” said Bill Andress, executive director of the Lehigh Valley Chapter. “We’re known throughout the area for our iconic pink fire truck and, thanks to PennEast’s support, we’ll be able to soon add a restored pink ambulance to help our efforts.”
The Chapter’s forthcoming pink ambulance will join the pink fire truck at community events. Both vehicles will not only raise awareness for women’s health, but they will also serve as rolling autograph tablets. Individuals will be encouraged to sign the vehicles in honor of loved ones who are battling illnesses or who have passed.
“We are proud to support the work of Pink Heals and excited to know that our Community Connector Grant will go a long way to support further fundraising for women and their families in the Lehigh Valley,” said Pam Witmer of PennEast Pipeline Company. “Lehigh Valley Pink Heals literally serves with distinction as their pink fire truck cannot be missed; we’re proud to help support their growth with the much anticipated addition of their pink ambulance.”
PennEast has contributed more than $400,000 through its Community Connector Grant Program to communities along the proposed PennEast Pipeline route. Through its grant program, sponsorships and volunteer efforts, PennEast is committed to supporting local organizations like Pink Heals.
For additional information on the Community Connector Grant Program and eligibility requirements, visit http://penneastpipeline.com/community-investment/. For more information on the Lehigh Valley Chapter of Pink Heals, visit http://www.facebook.com/pinkfiretruckslv/.
Is the PennEast pipeline going to provide natural gas to local residents/businesses or is it going to be sent overseas?
ReplyDeleteI keep getting mailers from them but thought I heard that the gas pipeline was only running through the area for overseas consumption, not local.
bushkill fire & pink heals , both getting $$$$ from the pipeline......sounds like payoff money for support of their project.
ReplyDelete8:27, I have heard that, too, and frankly don't know whether the goal is to export. But even if it is, that still leads to lower prices for us. It also means jobs in the depressed coal regions. And while natural gas is a fossil fuel, it is pollution free compared to coal and oil.
ReplyDeleteJudge, PennEast is a natural gas company and it is in its best interest to develop excellent relations with first responders. Pink Heals is primarily an effort among first responders. To call this payoff money is absurd bc those first responders have nothing to do with FERC approval. Would you prefer to see a big business in this area that gives to no one?
ReplyDeleteAlso,and I never knew this until yesterday, there are already two pipelines going thru Bethlehem Tp and NC. I believe this one goes from Miami to some point north. There is even a compressor station in the township. These pipelines have operated for decades and no one even knows they are there.
PennEast is acting like a good citizen in giving these grants to first responders.
Thanks for sharing. This PennEast line is for local use. It runs about 100 miles from northeast PA into NJ with various connections along the way. Those developing it are local PA and NJ gas utilities. Also there aren't any export facilities in NJ, for what that's worth.
ReplyDeleteSee route/more details http://penneastpipeline.com/proposed-route/
I work in the pipeline industry (but not Penneast/UGI) so call me biased if you like.
ReplyDeleteThe Penneast line will connect into the Williams Transco lines down around the Trenton/Princeton area. These are major transmission lines that ship gas into major New Jersey markets. Williams has been all sorts of line upgrade projects in NJ that, of course, have torqued up people almost as bad. There can be further connections into lines owned by Spectra Energy that can get the gas into New England markets, all the way up into Maine and even Canada, where heating oil has traditionally been the widest used heating fuel. Spectra is a partner in Penneast so I'm sure this will happen. This gas is headed all to industrial, commercial, and residential uses. The other partners are mainly natural gas distribution companies - like UGI piping it to your house. They are not in the gas export business.
What I find most comical about the local critics is that they have zero concern about all of the operating pipelines in the Lehigh Valley that were built in the 1940s and 1950s to inferior standards - of which I know there at least 10, with almost as many built in the 1960s to only slightly better standards - yet this new pipeline, built to some of the highest standards ever in time, the best monitoring - OH MY GOD IT IS GOING TO KILL US ALL they say. You have to be kidding me. Once the grass grows in on the right of way most people will forget it was even built. They are trying to co-locate with other pipelines wherever possible. In BT I believe they are trying to co-locate with the existing Columbia and PPL Interstate pipelines next to Rt. 33. Columbia's local office is that property with the Quonset hut across from Madison farms. Their line goes right through there.
It is true that this will not produce a lot of jobs over the long term. Yes, there will be hundreds if not thousands during the construction phase, but that's a couple of years tops. But permanent operations/maintenance jobs in the pipeline industry tend to pay family-sustaining salaries with good benefits.
I believe it will produce some jobs in northern Pa. Until yesterday, I knew nothing about the two pipelines already going through the County. They are pressurized natural gas, too. I was shown maps of these lines yesterday. people go by them all the time and would never know they are there. There is even a compressor station,and it has been problem free. of course, the absolute highest safety standards must be followed, but this appears to be a responsible and transparent effort.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, you are biased and admitted it, but knowledgeable. Thank you.
I'll add another thing I find comical. People were complaining that Penneast was going to build about 4/10 of a mile away from a school in Moore Township. Oh God, all the kids will die! Even in the worst possible pipeline disaster, all that people 4/10 of a mile away will be dealing with is a closed road two thousand feet away and possibly taking a longer way of travel.
ReplyDeleteIn the mid 1990s East Penn School District in Lower Macungie built a brand new school less than 200 feet from two active petroleum pipelines after their experts concluded that the risk was near zero. The pipelines are less than 100' from the athletic field and were there first.
I have no dog in this fight but the sensationalism and lack of understanding on behalf of the protesters is unnerving. Once you back off the "this is MY land" viewpoint it all starts to make sense. Stop paying your property taxes and see how long it's "YOUR" land for.