ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE Please note:
The deadline for comments on the
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
has passed.
Thank you to all who have submitted comments.After 23 months and 35 Penns Neck Area EIS Partners' Roundtable meetings, the cause that brought us together is drawing to a close. Now that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Penns Neck Area (formerly the Millstone Bypass) has been released, it is more important than ever for us to speak with one voice.
To read a sample letter and comments that have been sent, please see below:
sample letter in support of the Millstone Bypass Alert Coalition's preferred alternative, D-2
Addresses for CommentsRead what others have submitted at Public Hearing 6/30/03
List of Organizations Supporting Alternative D-2
BACKGROUND:
The Millstone Bypass Alert Coalition met on 10 June 2003. The consensus of the groups present was that Alternative D2 is most preferable. In short, it has Route 1 in a cut, frontage roads with a diamond interchange between Harrison Street and Washington Road, no east-side connector road, and a Vaughn Drive connector to Alexander Road.
This alignment would
- protect the serenity of the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park,
- protect the water supply in the Delaware and Raritan Canal,
- protect the Washington Road Elm Allee,
- preserve the Millstone River corridor,
- avoid wetlands,
- protect forests,
- protect threatened and endangered species such as the NJ Threatened long-eared owl,
- preserve National Register-listed and eligible archaeological and historic sites.
Alternative D2 does all this as well as meets the NJ Department of Transportation's objectives of providing traffic congestion relief and removing three traffic signals on Route 1.
It is important to note that in the DEIS Appendix A:
The NJ State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) concurred in March 2003 that an east-side connector road would adversely affect "archaeological sites, located in proximity to the environmentally important Millstone River." The SHPO letter also suggests that the DOT focus on, "avoiding adverse effects to the Delaware and Raritan Canal Historic District and Washington Road Elm Allee" and "eliminating the proposed east-side connector road."
Read the entire SHPO letter
In a preliminary assessment dated April 2003, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (Division of Fish and Wildlife, Endangered and Nongame Species Program) states that, in reference to the long-eared owl, "the proposed bypass alternatives that are routed through the Sarnoff property would essentially destroy the documented habitat of this state-threatened species. It does not appear that onsite mitigation will be possible as little additional habitat exists in the vicinity."
Read the entire Division of Fish and Wildlife letter
In a 30 January 2001 letter to West Windsor's Planning Board, an engineer hired by the West Windsor Board writes of the Sarnoff property, "This property contains some of the most spectacular views that can be found anywhere in West Windsor. The bluffs overlooking the Millstone need to be preserved so that future generations can enjoy them," and "The potential for rare or endangered species to be present on site is possible."
Read the entire memo from the West Windsor environmental engineer
Thank you to those who wrote or spoke!
We appreciate your statements in favor of Alternative D2 at the public hearing!
Sample Letter and Talking Points Thank you to the 300 supporters who signed letters at
The Whole Earth Center
360 Nassau Street, PrincetonThe DEIS Executive Summary and Partners' Roundtable documents can be found at
http://www.sierraactivist.org/eis and Penns Neck Area EIS.
The deadline (August 15, 2003) for Written comments (sample letter) on the Penns Neck Area DEIS has passed. Thanks to all who made their voices heard!
Jon A. Carnegie, AICP/PP, Senior Project Manager
Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center
Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
33 Livingston Avenue, Suite 500
New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901Anthony Sabidussi, Section Chief
NJDOT - Bureau of Environmental Services
1035 Parkway Avenue, P.O. Box 600
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0600Young Kim
Federal Highway Administration
840 Bear Tavern Road
W. Trenton, New Jersey 08628
We also recommended that your comment letters be mailed to Governor McGreevey and NJDOT Commissioner Lettiere.
John F. Lettiere, Jr., Commissioner
Department of Transportation
PO Box 601
1035 Parkway Avenue
Trenton, NJ 08625Governor James E. McGreevey
New Jersey State House
PO Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625John M. Fowler, Executive Director
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
The Old Post Office Building
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, #809
Washington, DC 20004Mr. Bradley M. Campbell, Commissioner
Department of Environmental Protection
401 East State Street
PO Box 402
Trenton, NJ 08625
Mr. Marc A. Matsil, Assistant Commissioner,
NJDEP
Historic Preservation Office, 3rd Fl
501 East State Street
PO Box 404
Trenton, NJ 08625Thank you!
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