Earlier this month, President Obama and the Department of Energy announced that the Susquehanna-Roseland transmission line project would be “fast-tracked” as part of a pilot program to support new power lines connecting renewable energy sources to major markets.
The Susquehanna-Roseland line is NOT a renewable energy project. Instead, this long-planned “coal-by-wire” project will allow for more dirty coal-fired energy to come into New Jersey and undermine our state’s clean energy goals and programs, and pollute the air we breathe.
The Susquehanna-Roseland line cuts across the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, the Middle Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River, the Appalachian Trail and numerous county and municipal public lands. Currently the National Park Service is reviewing the environmental impacts of the project and are expected to complete their analysis in January 2013. Under this pilot program that process would be fast-tracked and the public could be shut out of the review. The project will have major impacts on our federal lands that could be ignored through accelerated permitting.
We need our Legislators to stand up and protect our public lands from destruction for an unneeded power line. Urge Senator Lautenberg to call on Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to pull the Susquehanna-Roseland line out of the fast-track pilot program.
You can write to Senator Lautenberg by going to his contact web page at http://lautenberg.senate.gov/contact/index1.cfm. Fill out your appropriate contact information in the web-form, choose “I Oppose” from the pull down menu, and where it asks you to “Please type the subject of your message:” write “Fast-tracking the Susquehanna-Roseland power line”
Feel free to use the sample letter below, adding your own words and thoughts in your message to the Senator.
Sample Letter:
Dear Senator Lautenberg,
I am very disappointed that the unneeded Susquehanna-Roseland transmission line project has been selected by the Obama Administration for a new “Fast-track” pilot program. Energy demand in New Jersey is dropping, and this power line only continues our dependence on dirty coal, delaying our transition to a clean energy economy while destroying our public lands. This line is not a renewable energy carrier – it will carry toxic coal-fired energy into our state from Pennsylvania. Instead of fast-tracking this line, we should be investing in local renewable energy generation, energy efficiency, and demand response – efforts that will create new, permanent jobs in a clean energy industry for New Jersey.
The Susquehanna-Roseland line will have major negative impacts on three National Park units: the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, the Middle Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River, and the Appalachian Trail. The National Park Service staff must be afforded time to thoroughly review the impacts this dirty energy project will have on lands held in the public trust. This pilot program would fast-track NPS permitting to the detriment of the public process and our park units.
I urge you to write Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and ask him to withdraw the Susquehanna-Roseland line from the pilot program. This line is not for renewable energy and our NPS staff must be given the needed time to review its impacts.
Fast-tracking the Susquehanna-Roseland project puts dirty coal ahead of the people of New Jersey. Please stand up for us and urge our federal regulators to remove the Susquehanna-Roseland line from the program.
Thank you,