3,200 Sign-In for JCP&L MCRP Public Hearing

More than 3,200 residents signed in to the second and final JCP&L Monmouth County Reliability Project (MCRP), held March 29, 2017 from 5:30 to 11:00 pm at Brookdale Community College’s Collins Arena. During the five and a half hours of statements, 55 citizens and their families respectfully and civilly addressed the Office of Administrative Law Judge Gail Cookson about their concerns surrounding the proposed MCRP to install a 10-mile 230 kilovolt high-power transmission line from Aberdeen to Red Bank along the NJ Transit Coast Line Railroad Right of Way (ROW).

Widespread Legislative and Community Support Grows

Gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy posted on his Facebook page, “I join Congressman Pallone, the numerous state and local leaders, and many residents who oppose JCP&L's proposal to run a high-voltage power transmission line across Monmouth County. This project is not only dubious in the impact it would have on our communities and environment, but questionable in its efficacy and claims of resiliency. As has been noted before, a new single power line would leave Monmouth County no more secure than the energy infrastructure currently in place. Instead of another power line, we must encourage alternative, renewable sources of energy that not only will minimize environmental and community impacts and damage to private property, but also prove much more resilient in the long run.”

Most recently, Gubernatorial Candidate Jack Ciattarelli has also joined Mr. Murphy and more than 25 local, county, state and federal legislators who have publicly opposed this project.

“It was wonderful to have a community come together to voice their opinions and share their personal stories,” notes RAGE President Rachael Kanapka. “Contrary to JCP&L’s claims, neither the projected electricity demand nor population numbers support the need for this transmission project. There are alternate, technology-forward, cost-efficient remedies to fix the reliability concerns that primarily stem from JCP&L’s aging local distribution infrastructure rather than its current transmission infrastructure that works 99.9% of the time. That’s why there is unanimous support from our elected officials and those who are running for the office of Governor this year.”

The common themes of citizens’ concerns included:

• Lack of need for the project
• JCP&L/First Energy’s financial issues and ability to maintain and update current distribution infrastructure
• property devaluation
• train safety, environment, sustainability, land use and long-term health concerns
• health and safety for NJ Transit employees and commuters and vulnerability of seniors, children and the disabled, particularly for those who rely on NJ Transit for their only form of convenient and safe transportation

Video of the evening is posted on www.rage2016.com, YouTube and on Facebook Middletown NJ.

Further information about the project is available here:

· Stopjcpl.org or http://www.rage2016.com/ for information, events, JCP&L’s 2014 pole locations and 2015 maps

· Facebook RAGE page: https://www.facebook.com/NJRAGE16/?fref=ts,

· Tweet @RAGE_2016.

· Use our Google GPS distance estimator tool to see how close your home is to the railway right of way (ROW): http://bit.ly/28Z1rtK.

Support the RAGE Legal Fund to: RAGE-Residents Against Giant Electric, 1385 Highway 35, Ste. 128, Middletown, NJ 07748.

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RAGE Supporters who oppose MCRP:

Organizations that have passed resolutions and letters of support and have requested further information about the merits of the project include:

· Congressman Chris Smith

· Congressman Frank Pallone

· Assemblywoman Amy Handlin

· Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon

· Senator Joseph Kyrillos

· Phil Murphy, former Ambassador to Germany, Gubernatorial Candidate

· Jack Ciattarelli, Gubernatorial Candidate

· Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders

· Bayshore Conference of Mayors

· Hazlet Township, Hazlet Public School Board of Education

· Hazlet Youth Athletic League

· Holmdel Township and Holmdel Public School Board of Education

· Holmdel Citizens for Informed Land Use (CILU)

· Middletown Township and Middletown Public School Board of Education

· Red Bank Council and Red Bank Borough Board of Education

· Red Bank Regional High School Board of Education

· Red Bank Environmental Commission

· Monmouth County Conservation Foundation

· Monmouth County Genealogy Society

· Middletown Township Historical Society

· Middletown Landmarks Commission

· Poricy Park Nature Conservancy

· NJ Sierra Club

· Old First Church

· Parent/Teacher Organizations: Middletown River Plaza, NutSwamp, Village and Middletown South HS, Hazlet Lillian Drive and Beers Street Elementary Schools