Smart Planning

Smart Planning

• Smart Planning

• Created in 1997 in response to local highway expansion and induced Sprawl

• Sprawl refers to the flight of city or suburban dwellers to the beauty, quality of lifestyle, fresh air and open space of rural land.

• However, with Sprawl comes:

• Costly initial development of new infrastructure to support a larger population.
• More residents
• Long transportation distances to work
• More traffic
• More pollution per person
• Increased demands on land and water resources
• Loss of open space
• Loss of Historic resources
• Higher taxes

• Rural Sprawl often takes small communities by surprise –

• Overwhelming the capacity for planning and land use enforcement.

WHY S.A.V.E. APPLIED FOR A TAG

• The Columbia gas line currently runs through Chester and Lancaster Counties.

• The AES Mid-Atlantic Express LNG line is proposed to run concurrent with the Columbia line.

• In addition to 7 Chester County municipalities, the project encompasses a region with significant natural areas wherein a pipeline construction and/or failure pose tremendous risk

• The Right-of-Way (ROW) for Columbia and Mid-Atlantic passes through the Octorara, Elk and Brandywine Creek watersheds and the largest area of contiguously protected area of private and public open space on the Mid-Atlantic seaboard

• The ROW passes through Class A prime agricultural lands

• The ROW passes through areas containing endangered species.

Pipeline incidents may be rare however increasing population density around pipeline systems in Chester County has led to an increased risk to humans, the built environment, and environmentally sensitive natural features.

• Pipeline incidents may be rare however increasing population density around pipeline systems in Chester County has led to an increased risk to humans, the built environment, and environmentally sensitive natural features.

• Poor communication exist between the public and pipeline operators, heightening risk

• Risk can be reduced through improved information sharing and communication on best practices.

• Sprawl has resulted in houses being located in close proximity to pipelines necessitating emergency response and other safety education programs.

• Pipeline safety concerns should be incorporated into every level of the land development and land use planning processes.

• Although pipeline operators are responsible for ensuring the safety of their existing and new transmission lines, fostering open dialog among all stakeholders and engaging an informed public may significantly reduce risk factors

AES Corp. of Virginia – The Mid-Atlantic Express 88-mile pipeline between Sparrows Point, Md. and Eagle, Chester County. 32 miles in Chester County. Construction affecting: 400+ landowners, 2,500 preserved acres, a minimum 20 streams and tributaries, including the historic Brandywine Creek.

NPMS Pipeline Data current as of 2006

TAG Project Goals

• Provide technical assistance, informational resources, and outreach to all stakeholders in affected communities

• Undertake a safety and land use analysis of the transmission pipelines through municipalities in the designated area

• Inform and engage the public regarding their role of fostering the safety and reliability of pipeline operations and regarding regulatory processes

• Establish a central organization contact point for the public to seek and obtain information and guidance and which will serve to facilitate enhanced communications

• Create a more informed public and elected officials at all levels (local, county, state and federal) in order to strengthen the depth and quality of public participation in pipeline safety matters and official proceedings

• Improve communications between pipeline operators and the community

• Enhance community safety, and foster damage prevention.

How?

• Review proposed Mid-Atlantic pipeline path alternatives and land use impacts (including safety and emergency management considerations, wildlife and endangered species, historic resources, watersheds and water quality, conservation easements, population density, damage prevention)

• Review ordinances in the designated geographic area and coordinate improvement of ordinances through review and creation of a Model Ordinance for safety, land use designations, and emergency management regarding existing and potential/proposed pipelines

• Provide technical assistance and outreach to municipalities regarding best practices and implementation of ordinance revisions based on initial review

• Provide public outreach/education

• Engage the community and elected officials

• Create hard copy informational pieces and mailings

• Develop mailing lists of appropriate citizens, elected officials, agency, officials, and pipeline representatives

• Present public seminars using power point and distribution of educational information

• Create a web site as a resource for citizens and municipalities on best practices, model ordinances, and emergency response procedures with links to other resources

• By creating a more informed public and elected officials at all levels (local, county, state and federal) the project will serve to strengthen the depth and quality of public participation in pipeline safety matters and official Proceedings, improve communications between pipeline operators and the community, and enhance community safety by fostering damage prevention

Southern Chester County