Pilgrim Pipeline Formally Opposed by Morris County Freeholders

Citing safety and environmental concerns, the Morris County Freeholders unanimously approved a resolution opposing the proposed Pilgrim Pipeline this week.

The Pilgrim Pipeline is a propose project that would bring Bakken crude oil from Albany, New York to refineries in Linden, New Jersey. As a result, the pipeline would cut through sections of Morris County as well as the Highlands water protection area and Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.

In addition to opposing the pipeline, the resolution calls for a “full environmental impact” to be conducted, and called into question the reliability of the company proposing the project.

“This pipeline project raises significant safety concerns for Morris County, including potential harm to our residents, schools, and municipal and county infrastructure,’’ said Freeholder Director Kathy DeFillippo in a statement. “We have heard the concerns raised by the towns and people of our county and, therefore, insist on a thorough and exhaustive study of any potential consequences of this pipeline before it gets any further consideration.’’

Among some of the concerns of the Freeholders were:

• All of Chatham Borough and Madison Borough are served by public water, which comes from public wells within their boroughs. The wellhead protection areas for these municipal wells fall with the proposed pipeline route.
• East Hanover and Montville are served by public wells within their community. Some of their wellhead protection areas are within the proposed pipeline route.

• The proposed route goes through the Buried Valley, Rockaway and Highlands – sole source aquifers in Morris County.
• The proposed route would cut through the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, which was established more than 50 years ago by the United States Department of Interior and offers protection to the headwater of the Passaic River.
• The pipeline would cut through the heart of the Highlands Region created in 2004 by the legislature to protect against the depletion of water supply and quality for a supply that drinking water to 5.4 million New Jersey residents.

Of the 28 towns along the proposed pipeline, 27 have formally opposed the project as well as the state Assembly.

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