June 21, 2012|Letter to The Aegis
The following letter was addressed to Del. Rick Impallaria. A copy was provided for publication.
I am writing to you today to bring to your attention an issue you might already be aware of and one that I need your help monitoring. Columbia Gas has proposed the installation of a 21.4-mile natural gas pipeline from Owings Mills to Rutledge Compressor Station in Fallston. For most of the 21.4 miles, the pipeline will follow [an] existing pipeline, however, most of the pipeline being installed in the Fallston area will follow a new direction. This has caused numerous constituents to contact my office.
Harford County Council is prohibited by Charter from getting involved with Board of Appeals cases. Although this project is not a Board of Appeals case, it has the potential to become one as this project progresses through the approval process (Federal, State and County). Due to this I cannot take a position on the pipeline and am limited to what I can do.
I have a couple concerns with the project and would like your help in reviewing the following issues. What if any are the environmental impacts of this project? Because of the new layout, what if any public safety issues will this project create? Finally, my ultimate goal is that this pipeline affects the least amount of my constituents, so is this projected new path the best path or is there an alternate route that may be better?
I hope that you were already aware of this project and if not that this letter provides you with enough information to look into it. I am limited to what I can do by County Charter and really would appreciate any help you could provide in making sure the Columbia Gas project is completely reviewed and is no danger to the community.
Joseph M. Woods
Harford County Council
District B, Fallston
