Police Investigate Vandalism at Pike County Pipeline Project
By: Eric Deabill
Updated: February 20, 2013
Milford, Pike County - Workers involved in a natural gas pipeline project in Pike County say someone is potentially putting their lives in danger.
Over the last few days, employees say someone has been stringing up twine in between trees and doing other damage to try and block a pipeline upgrade project.
Workers with Tennessee Gas Pipeline LLC says they've been working for years to secure permits for a seven-mile pipeline upgrade loop between Pike County and Sussex County, New Jersey.
Employees just began clearing trees within the last few days and during that time people have tried to tamper with the project.
Allen Fore, public affairs director for Kinder Morgan, showed Eyewitness News pictures of some of the damage done to their equipment.
"When you cross the line, damaging property and potentially harming workers, that's when it becomes a public safety issue," Fore said.
Within the last few days, Fore says someone has endangered the lives of tree-cutting crews by stringing-up twine in between trees. He also says tires on back-hoes have been slashed and sugar has been put in the gas tanks of machines.
"These are union workers in many instances who are out there trying to do a job and threatening their livelihood and more seriously their personal safety, it can't be allowed," Fore said.
On Monday and Tuesday, people who are against the project blocked the gates of a state forest to prevent tree cutters from doing their job.
On Wednesday, they set-up a tree stand deep into the woods. Police were called to the scene because private land was involved.
Protesters deny doing any of the vandalism that has taken place.
"It could easily be an angry landowner who's in the pipeline right of way," activist Alex Lotorto said. "It could be anybody in the county. We're all pretty united against this project."
Gas pipeline employees say they have gone through a permitting process that has taken years.
They say they are not against people protesting legally but feel the increased attention this week has gotten out of hand with some crossing the line.
"I think you can draw a correlation between the very public nature that those folks who are protesting have made this, whether it's posting on Facebook, having blogs, they're very clear about who is doing what," Fore said.
Officials with Tennessee Gas Pipeline LLC say the damage total right now is in the thousands of dollars but could jump into the hundreds-of-thousands of dollars depending on some of the vandalism done to their large machines.
Anyone with information on the vandalism is urged to call the Eastern Pike Regional Police Department.
Over the last few days, employees say someone has been stringing up twine in between trees and doing other damage to try and block a pipeline upgrade project.
Workers with Tennessee Gas Pipeline LLC says they've been working for years to secure permits for a seven-mile pipeline upgrade loop between Pike County and Sussex County, New Jersey.
Employees just began clearing trees within the last few days and during that time people have tried to tamper with the project.
Allen Fore, public affairs director for Kinder Morgan, showed Eyewitness News pictures of some of the damage done to their equipment.
"When you cross the line, damaging property and potentially harming workers, that's when it becomes a public safety issue," Fore said.
Within the last few days, Fore says someone has endangered the lives of tree-cutting crews by stringing-up twine in between trees. He also says tires on back-hoes have been slashed and sugar has been put in the gas tanks of machines.
"These are union workers in many instances who are out there trying to do a job and threatening their livelihood and more seriously their personal safety, it can't be allowed," Fore said.
On Monday and Tuesday, people who are against the project blocked the gates of a state forest to prevent tree cutters from doing their job.
On Wednesday, they set-up a tree stand deep into the woods. Police were called to the scene because private land was involved.
Protesters deny doing any of the vandalism that has taken place.
"It could easily be an angry landowner who's in the pipeline right of way," activist Alex Lotorto said. "It could be anybody in the county. We're all pretty united against this project."
Gas pipeline employees say they have gone through a permitting process that has taken years.
They say they are not against people protesting legally but feel the increased attention this week has gotten out of hand with some crossing the line.
"I think you can draw a correlation between the very public nature that those folks who are protesting have made this, whether it's posting on Facebook, having blogs, they're very clear about who is doing what," Fore said.
Officials with Tennessee Gas Pipeline LLC say the damage total right now is in the thousands of dollars but could jump into the hundreds-of-thousands of dollars depending on some of the vandalism done to their large machines.
Anyone with information on the vandalism is urged to call the Eastern Pike Regional Police Department.
