Download (SAVE), Pennsylvania - Pipeline Safety Trust

S.A.V.E. is a non-profit community
organization whose aim is to sustain the
southern Chester County region’s rural
quality of life and community character
through influencing infrastructure and land
use planning that fosters conservation,
environmental protection, and safety.
Smart Planning
Created in 1997 in response to local highway expansion and induced Sprawl
Sprawl refers to the flight of city or suburban dwellers to the beauty, quality of lifestyle,
fresh air and open space of rural land.
However, with Sprawl comes:
Costly initial development of new infrastructure to support a larger population.
More residents
Long transportation distances to work
More traffic
More pollution per person
Increased demands on land and water resources
Loss of open space
Loss of Historic resources
Higher taxes
Rural Sprawl often takes small communities by surprise –
Overwhelming the capacity for planning and land use enforcement.
“Growth is inevitable and
desirable, but destruction
of community character
is not. The question is
not whether your part of
the world is going to
change. The question is
how.”
-Edward T. McMahon,
The Conservation Fund
www.save41.org
101 East Street Road
Kennett Square, PA 19348
610-925-0041
[email protected]
The combination of concern about
the natural environment
farm land protection
safety, as it relates to the expansion of infrastructure
led to the natural involvement of S.A.V.E. in pipeline issues.
WHY S.A.V.E.
APPLIED FOR A TAG
The Columbia gas line currently runs through Chester and
Lancaster Counties.
The AES Mid-Atlantic Express LNG line is proposed to run
concurrent with the Columbia line.
In addition to 7 Chester County municipalities, the project
encompasses a region with significant natural areas wherein a
pipeline construction and/or failure pose tremendous risk
The Right-of-Way (ROW) for Columbia and Mid-Atlantic passes
through the Octorara, Elk and Brandywine Creek watersheds
and the largest area of contiguously protected area of private
and public open space on the Mid-Atlantic seaboard
The ROW passes through Class A prime agricultural lands
The ROW passes through areas containing endangered species.
Pipeline incidents may be rare however increasing population
density around pipeline systems in Chester County has led to an
increased risk to humans, the built environment, and
environmentally sensitive natural features.
Poor communication exist between the public and pipeline
operators, heightening risk
Risk can be reduced through improved information sharing and
communication on best practices.
Sprawl has resulted in houses being located in close proximity to
pipelines necessitating emergency response and other safety
education programs.
Pipeline safety concerns should be incorporated into every level of
the land development and land use planning processes.
Although pipeline operators are responsible for ensuring the safety
of their existing and new transmission lines, fostering open dialog
among all stakeholders and engaging an informed public may
significantly reduce risk factors
AES Corp. of Virginia – The Mid-Atlantic Express
88-mile pipeline between Sparrows Point, Md. and Eagle, Chester County.
32 miles in Chester County.
Construction affecting: 400+ landowners, 2,500 preserved acres, a minimum 20
streams and tributaries, including the historic Brandywine Creek.
NPMS Pipeline Data current as of 2006
TAG
Project Goals
Provide technical assistance, informational resources, and outreach
to all stakeholders in affected communities
Undertake a safety and land use analysis of the transmission
pipelines through municipalities in the designated area
Inform and engage the public regarding their role of fostering the
safety and reliability of pipeline operations and regarding regulatory
processes
Establish a central organization contact point for the public to seek
and obtain information and guidance and which will serve to facilitate
enhanced communications
Create a more informed public and elected officials at all levels
(local, county, state and federal) in order to strengthen the depth and
quality of public participation in pipeline safety matters and official
proceedings
Improve communications between pipeline operators and the
community
Enhance community safety, and foster damage prevention.
How?
Review proposed Mid-Atlantic pipeline path alternatives and land use impacts (including safety
and emergency management considerations, wildlife and endangered species, historic
resources, watersheds and water quality, conservation easements, population density, damage
prevention)
Review ordinances in the designated geographic area and coordinate improvement of
ordinances through review and creation of a Model Ordinance for safety, land use
designations, and emergency management regarding existing and potential/proposed pipelines
Provide technical assistance and outreach to municipalities regarding best practices and
implementation of ordinance revisions based on initial review
Provide public outreach/education
Engage the community and elected officials
Create hard copy informational pieces and mailings
Develop mailing lists of appropriate citizens, elected officials, agency, officials, and pipeline
representatives
Present public seminars using power point and distribution of educational information
Create a web site as a resource for citizens and municipalities on best practices, model
ordinances, and emergency response procedures with links to other resources
By creating a more informed public and
elected officials at all levels (local,
county, state and federal) the project
will serve to strengthen the depth and
quality of public participation in pipeline
safety matters and official Proceedings,
improve communications between pipeline
operators and the community, and
enhance community safety by fostering
damage prevention
www.save41.org
[email protected]
610.925.0041
FAX 610.925.3172
101 East Street Road
Kennett Square, PA 19348
Southern Chester County