This Is What DEP Approved Gas Pipeline Restoration Looks Like

Before going to last week’s Pompton Lakes Real Community Advisory Group (CAG) meeting on the Dupont cleanup, I decided to go early, take a hike, and take a look at NJ reservoir levels, which DEP data show are below average for this time of year.

During that tour, I came across one of the crime scenes created by the Tennessee Gas Pipeline project around Lake Lookover (you remember what that looked like, if not see: This is What Gas Pipeline Construction Looks Like (Part 1 of 2) for photos taken during construction.)

I’m still working on a post about rather shocking developments at the PL CAG meeting, so for today, I thought I’d just post a few photos of Tennessee Gas Pipeline’s DEP approved “restoration”.

What kind of habitat value is this? Can Audubon tell me what bird species this supports?

[Note: a clever reader responds that this supports critical habitat for the PVC Piping Plover! hahahaha!]

Compacted soils and exposed rock not likely to support native vegetation, and will worsen runoff, erosion, and water quality. How does this not permanently impair hiking & recreational use?

looking east – only narrow portion of ROW *replanted. Reminds me of a cemetery (10/6/14)

same deal looking west across Lake Lookover  (10/6/14)

new pump station – lots of new hard packed surface, new trees not native and dead and dying (10/6/14)

scrawny new trees, not watered or maintained, dead and dying (10/6/14)