Gas Compressor Foes Ask NorCo Council For Help

Columbia Gas plans to expand a compressor station in Forks Township. But a group of local residents are urging the state Department of Environmental Expansion to deny a permit. Forks Township has already adopted a resolution signalling its opposition. Although the deadline for public comment has passed, compressor foes asked Northampton County Council to take similar action at their meeting last Thursday.

According to the state DEP, the project application can be reviewed at its Wilkes-Barre or Bethlehem District Offices. but you have to make an appointment. (610-861-2070).

The state has already ruled that compressor stations are not major sources of pollution, but four people at Thursday's Council meeting had a different view. Joan Deen, who is active in the Northampton County League of Women Voters, made the following observations:

• Columbia Gas wants to increase the horsepower at the compressor station from 2,250 hp to 21,000 hp (The Express Times said the increase would be from 5,000 to 22,000) "Obviosuly, they have plans for the future, notes Deen.
• Though a school bus is unable to idle for more than 15 minutes because of air pollution concerns, this expanded station will be the equivalent of 168 school buses idling 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. 
• The station as expanded will annually emit 70 tons of nitrous oxide; 163 tons of carbon monoxide; 15 tons of particulate matter that we will breathe in; 9 tons of volatile components; 99,000 tons of greenhouse gases; and 1/2 ton of sulfur dioxide.  

Tom Church, who worked for natural gas companies for 15 years, is opposed to the expansion. He argued that even if council fails to adopt a resolution opposing the permit, it really should update its emergency response plan. He stated the station is only 300' from some homes, though a google map search reveals that the compressor station is surrounded mostly by farmland.

Compressor foes have established a Facebook page, Stop the Easton Compressor Station.

Angry Forks Mob Wants to Lynch Ronald McDonald

Calling all progressives!

Once again, it's time to break out the Birkenstocks. It seems like only yesterday, liberal elitists were complaining about Bethlehem's plans to move some community garden to make room for some evil developer. They lost that battle, but another front has opened up in Forks Township. This time, it concerns Ronald McDonald's plans to open up a fast food franchise in a shopping center complex in Forks Township. There may be some parking and signage issues, but the use is permitted. Nevertheless, at yoga centers and green-tea shops all over Easton, our betters are outraged.

Scott Haykin, an alternative energy expert, started the ball rolling with a petition to keep McDonald's out of Forks, zoning ordinance be damned. As of 8 pm yesterday, there were 336 signatures.

This was also discussed in great detail at Facebook's Easton page. Here are some of the comments posted by our enlightened superiors, who deny they are NIMBYs or snobs.

"It's poison food and we don't need one. Not in Forks. Not anywhere."

"McDonald's is just the beginning. All the other fast food chains will follow and who knows what else"

"I haven't yet agreed that corporations are people with Constitutional rights."

"Bring in trader joes or whole foods!!"

"I really don't want to have children someday and have them playing with dangerous toys they received in their happy meal. Did anyone really know what McD's is interested in? They are the largest toy distributer [sic] in the world."

"While your [sic] at it, we can get rid of the one in dt Easton as well... toxic waste dump anyway... food will kill ya. Forks doesn't need another one... we got enough fat bastards in the world, and now that we all have to pay for each others health insurance, I would rather not have my share wasted on other peoples poor eating habits."

A few of us think a McDonald's is just fine.

From the Neanderthal camp:

"Why doesn't anyone ever complain when they open a new bar?"

"This petition is utterly pointless. You can't exclude a particular business. If the land is zoned for a restaurant and the plans meet the zoning requirements, the township can't exclude McDonalds in favor of Chipolte, Starbucks or a mom and pop burger stand. If you don't like the food, just don't eat there."

"I'm trying to inject a bit of rationality into a discussion among people who, frankly, should know better than to try and block a business on the basis of ownership. If they don't have enough parking or the sign is too bright, fine. Tell them no. But if you personally wanted to open a business, you would want all of the property rights and due process that the McDonalds Corp. or franchise owner is going to exercise. And if McDonalds really thinks its worth the effort, they'll do what they need to meet the zoning requirements. If you go to the snootier parts of NJ and Connecticut, you'll find fast food chains built to look like stone farmhouses. I'm no great fan of fast food, and I go out of my way to avoid eating at chains when I travel, but this knee jerk opposition to anything corporate is naive and shortsighted."

"Happy meals have dangerous toys. Let's get Ronald McDonald, face of corporate evil!!"

Will Forks Trade Youth Sports For Old Farts' "Passive Recreation"?

Forks Township's brand new Chairman, David Billings, is in for a wild ride tonight. On his blog, Everything Forks, he quotes himself as saying, "It is hard to imagine a greater trust between a local official and the public, than the promise of open and honest government." But this transparency advocate is going to face a public tonight that is convinced he kept them in the dark.

On the surface is a new ordinance that abolishes the all-volunteer Recreation Board in favor of a paid Parks Director. And if you dig just a little bit, you'll see a growing concern that youth sports will be sacrificed for the "passive recreation" and amphitheaters enjoyed by old farts. According to Palmer-Forks Patch, the fireworks will start at the township building, 6:30 PM.

Of course, Forks has never played these Bethlehem hot dogs, except in basketball, and things got ugly fast. The final score was something like 4,683 to 0. I thought I overheard one Supervisor claim at the time that he'd rather see those kids doing ballet in an amphitheater. Maybe that's for the best.

But I digress. At Forks Township Residents Page, resident Kelli Steele Wilson lays out the details, from her point of view. Here are some excerpts, slightly edited.

"The Board of Supervisors (BOS) are 5 elected officials that are voted in for a 6 year term. The BOS distributes township tax money to the Recreation Board to fund townshp recreation. The Recreation Board (Rec Board) is appointed by the Supervisor's and consists of 7 residents as members. The 7 members meet once a month to manage the funds and township recreation as needed. The Rec Board distibutes funds to the FTAA in order to fund the 9 youth sports currently offered in our township as well as any other recreational requirements other than youth sports.

"The current situation is that the Supervisor's want to 'eliminate' the Rec Board and manage the funds themselves. The Supervisors would like to implement an arduous process for the FTAA to acquire the funds required to run the current youth programs. They have also indicated that there is not enough money spent on passive recreation and seem to hold the Rec Board accountable for this. Passive Recreation can only be manged by those who want to manage it. The Rec Board is not responsible to manage passive recreation, those who want it should manage it much like the FTAA manages the youth sports.

"The Rec Board has been accused of not 'operating under an ordinance.' COMPLETELY FALSE. There is an existing ordinance, was written in 1960, and the Rec Board was in compliance. The Supervisors were still not happy and had a "New Ordinance" written, one to their liking. It appears that there is something more to this however the Supervisor's have not been 'up front' as to why they are carrying on with this 'witch hunt.' As a township resident I think the Supervisors have enough on there plate to concern themselves with other than this. The fear is that the Supervisor's will lower the budgets for youth sports and the required funds needed will have to be absorbed by the taxpayer and or the parent.

Here are a few facts that you need to be aware of:

"Approx $30 of your sign-up fee for youth sports is kept by the town. Approx 1200-1500 athletes play youth sports annually in Forks Township.

"The FTAA pays the town $15,000.00 annually for 'use of the facilities,' which includes field use and Community Center use.

"In one year the town can receive as much as $60,000.00 per year from the FTAA.

"The FTAA helps supplement each sports budget that may be short changed with budget cuts by hosting monthly youth dances, snack bar operations and registration fees.

"The Supervisors have used Recreation funds to purchase two homes on Zucksville Road and to refurbish one of them for an office for our new Recreation Director. The other home I have no idea what the plan is for that.

"The Supervisors have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on architectural drawings for an Amphitheater that may not even be built.

"Tot lots have been built without proper consent or budget approval.

"A census was taken on what the township residents wanted to see our town add and the number 1 item was a pool, the Supervisors said 'Never going happen.' Why? Why go thru the expense of putting out a survey to the township if you have no plans on listening to what the public wants?

"There are many things that are unorthodox that are currently going on in the township, this is not only about Youth Sports.

"Some thoughts to ponder: Why allow all the building of homes in the township? Four bedroom homes bring families, not retirees requiring 'passive recreation', families with children, children that grow and need organized outlets to help keep them busy and out of trouble..."