THURS: Rally Against SRL Pipeline in the Pinelands

Tomorrow the People over Pipelines, local residents, affected families, the NJ Sierra Club, the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, and more will be holding a protest against NJNG’s Southern Reliability Link (SRL) pipeline and calling on the Murphy Administration for a stay on the pipeline until a complete investigation is completed.

Who: Impacted residents and families, the NJ Sierra Club, People Over Pipelines (POP), Pinelands Preservation Alliance, Food & Water Action, and other environmental groups.

What: Social distanced protest against NJNG’s SRL Pipeline. People will be lined up to picket at a proper distance and many will be in their cars with signs.

Where: 286 Province Line Rd at the intersection of Province Line and Hutchinson Rd in Upper Freehold.

When: July 2, 2020 at 2:00pm, Media- 1:30pm (Can come interview residents and protesters ahead of time)

NJNG has received two violations from the DEP for their Southern Reliability Link Pipeline (SRL) for drilling in Upper Freehold and mandated to cease operation until remedial measures are taken. In June they caused a frack out during HDD, cracking the foundation of a resident’s home causing it to be condemned. In New Egypt of Ocean County on Fisher and West Colliers Mill, near the SRL construction, a pipe collapsed causing a sinkhole.

“NJNG had several violations and drilling incidents in Upper Freehold, Burlington County, and in Plumsted Township. The SRL pipeline has affected their air, water, and now their homes. Since NJNG can still go ahead with HDD drilling in Burlington County, we believe that DEP should issue a stop work order on the pipeline altogether. That will give us our day in court and time for the Murphy Administration to conduct a thorough investigation to fix and deal with any problems from the pipeline,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “After the past few months of violations, blowouts, and more during construction of the pipeline, there needs to be an investigation on how the SRL pipeline has been built so far and the next stretch forward. The Murphy Administration must change the way companies drill for pipelines and prohibit HDD. The state also needs a stricter 401 process that involves an independent review of water quality.”