It seems to me that Hopewell Township Mayor Kristin McLaughlin and potential running mates Andrew Borders and Courtney Peters-Manning are attempting to pirate the bipartisan, townshipwide, long-running fight against the PennEast Pipeline for themselves and their political party.
The problem is that trying to revise easily proven facts is never a good idea.
Ever since PennEast proposed their plan for this unneeded pipeline, all local Republicans and Democrats, both as candidates and on the every Hopewell Township Committee, have unanimously, consistently and strongly opposed the PennEast Pipeline.
A brief review of important legislation during those early years is helpful to understand their troublesome attempt to re-write history.
On Oct. 14, 2014, the Township Committee, led by Democrats, unanimously passed Resolution 14-309, which opposed the PennEast pipeline project.
On July 27, 2015, the Township Committee, led by Republicans, unanimously passed Resolution 15-254, which opposed giving the PennEast Pipeline survey access to the Ted Stiles Preserve at Baldpate Mountain as well as prohibited the PennEast Pipeline from surveying all Township-owned land.
On July 28, 2015, the board of health, led by Republicans, unanimously passed Resolution 2015-2, following a ground-breaking testimonial public hearing, which found that the PennEast Pipeline posed an unreasonable and significant risk to the health and safety of the citizens of Hopewell Township.
On Oct. 26, 2015, the township committee, led by Republicans, unanimously passed, with both Democrats absent, Resolution 15-336, which prohibited the PennEast Pipeline from surveying in the public right-of-way.
From 2016 to 2019, the township committee, led by Democrats, has enjoyed Republican support in fighting the PennEast Pipeline, every step of the way.
— Harvey Lester, Titusville
