Tuesday Night Meeting in Hazlet on JCPL Plan, Held by Assemblywoman Handlin

Hazlet, NJ - Monmouth County Republican Assemblywoman Amy Handlin will hold a public meeting Tuesday night on JCP&L's power line proposal. A large crowd is expected at the town hall-style meeting, Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Hazlet Cullen Recreation Center.

Handlin has been an extremely vocal in her opposition to the project. She asked JCP&L to attend the meeting to answer residents' questions, but the power company told Patch Friday they will not be there.

"JCP&L is committed to transparency and open communication throughout the project process. Our outreach about the project has included three open houses," said JCP&L spokesman Ron Morano. "The open houses allowed us to provide information and answer questions from the public in a face-to-face setting, resulting in a productive exchange of ideas and valuable input on the project. We continue to communicate with residents through our social media, the project website and dedicated information line."

"Interested members of the public have another opportunity to provide input on the project at an upcoming hearing that will be held by the Board of Public Utilities," he added. Stay tuned for when that BPU hearing is.

JCP&L vice president of operations Anthony Hurley said in a new interview the company will likely file its formal application to BPU by the middle of July. JCP&L needs the BPU's and the state DEP's approval to build the lines.

"I have been and will continue to be a vocal opponent of the Monmouth County Reliability Project. I have been in contact with RAGE 2016 to defeat this proposal," said Assemblywoman Handlin in a public Facebook post. "In 1989 when I was Deputy Mayor of Middletown, JCP&L attempted a similar project but withdrew it due to citizens’ concerns related to health, safety and aesthetics -- in addition to potential property value reduction."