Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Quigley has appointed Chester County Commissioner Kathi Cozzone to Pennsylvania’s Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force (PITF).
Cozzone will serve as chair of the County Government Workgroup within the task force, leading the workgroup’s development of recommendations and best practices, a county press release said.
The purpose of the PITF is to recommend the best ways to plan, site, route and construct pipelines to avoid or reduce environmental and community impacts; to engage in public participation; to maximize opportunities for predictable and efficient permitting; and to ensure pipeline safety and integrity during operation of the pipeline.
“Over the next decade, Pennsylvania will undergo a substantial pipeline infrastructure build-out to transport gas from thousands of wells throughout the state," Cozzone said in the release. "In Chester County alone there are nearly 600 miles of existing pipeline corridors that run through the landscape of Chester County’s 760 square miles.
"We were the first county in the state to establish a pipeline notification protocol to bring together operators, municipalities and other government departments and agencies to research and establish a communications plan," she said.
Cozzone said the protocol, the Pipeline Information Center, is an interactive website that has benefited residents since its inception less than a year ago.
"I am pleased to have been asked to be a part of the PITF and look forward to bringing to the table many of the ideas and best practices already being undertaken in Chester County,” Cozzone added.
The actions of all workgroups within the PITF include coordination with federal and state agencies, local governments, industry representatives, landowners and environmental and cultural resource advocates. A final report, compiling all workgroup recommendations, will be presented to the governor in February.
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading...
Comments