Lancaster County Natural Gas

And a Marietta man has formed a citizens group, Lancaster Against Pipeline, to oppose it.

Houston-based Williams Partners on Tuesday requested permission from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to begin a pre-filing review of the Atlantic Sunrise project.

Part of the $2 billion project would be the 177-mile-long Penn Central Line, from Susquehanna County in the heart of Marcellus Shale fracking country to Williams’ existing interstate Transco gas pipeline in Lancaster County.

The pipeline would enter northern Lancaster County in Rapho Township near Lawn, travel southwest to the Susquehanna River near Marietta and follow the River Hills to a point south of Holtwood.

Local conservation groups are concerned that the pipeline would fragment River Hills forests and harm some well-known natural areas such as Tucquan Glen Nature Preserve.

The FERC filing lists these Lancaster County municipalities as being “impacted” by the pipeline: Drumore, Martic, Conestoga, Manor, West Hempfield, East Donegal and Mount Joy townships. Williams said it has notified officials in those townships about the project.

Williams asks FERC to grant the green light to begin the exploratory process by April 14.

Williams said it could give FERC a list of affected landowners, list of alternative pipe routes and a draft of surveys of cultural resources, wetlands and endangered species next month.

Williams said it would meet with regulatory agencies and seek input from landowners.

Open houses for the public would be held in May and June. If FERC approves the project, construction would begin in June 2016, Williams said.

Williams officials have met with Lebanon County commissioners about the project and intend to do the same with Lancaster County officials.

The pipeline would require a permanent 50-foot-wide right of way.

A FERC approval for the project means a landowner would have to allow Williams to build the pipeline, although ownerhship would remain with the landowner. A court would decide fair market value for purchase of the right of way from unwilling landowners.

Some Lancaster County landowners along the general route already have been contacted by letter or personal visits and asked to grant permission for survey crews to be on their property.

After an Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era story about the project on Sunday, Todd Robinson, of Marietta, formed a social media group, Lancaster Against Pipeline.

“My main hope of this Facebook group is to spread awareness of the proposed natural gas pipeline, ” said Robinson.

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