A proposed natural gas pipeline is expected to be less than one-half mile from Moore Elementary School and some Northampton Area School Board members are concerned about it.

"It scares me to death," board member Jean Rundle, who represents Moore Township on the school board, told a reporter for The Press after the Nov. 24 NASD school board meeting. "I think it's too close to our school," Rundle said.

The pipeline project came up during the Nov. 24 school board meeting when board President David Gogel reported on a meeting about the project that he attended Nov. 19 at the Klecknersville Rangers Volunteer Fire Company.

Gogel estimated there were 200-300 at the meeting.

In addition to Moore Township, the pipeline is to go through a portion of the Borough of Bath and Lehigh Township in NASD, as well as Upper and Lower Nazareth Township, Bethlehem Township (in the vicinity of the St. Luke's University Hospital Anderson campus) and Williams Township and Lower Saucon Township.

The pipeline is expected to be approximately 0.3 miles from Moore Elementary School. That's about the distance from the Northampton Administration Building, 2014 Laubach Avenue, to Northampton Area High School, 1619 Laubach Avenue.

The Kleckersville meeting was organized by Concerned Citizens Against the Pipeline, a network of community groups along the proposed path of the PennEast pipeline in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Also attending the Nov. 19 meeting were State Reps. Julie Harhart (R-183), Marcia Hahn (R-138) and State Sen. Mario Scavello (40th, Monroe, Northampton counties), through whose districts the pipleline is to traverse. A pumping station for the pipeline is planned for Kidder Township, Carbon County.

"Most were environmentalists," Gogel said of those who spoke at the Klecknersville meeting. "There weren't any company representatives there," said Gogel, who also represents Moore Township.

PennEast Pipeline LLC, a consortium that includes UGI Energy Services, wants to build the $1 billion, 108-mile, 36-inch natural gas underground pipeline from Dallas, Luzerne County, to Pennington, Mercer County, N.J.

In addition to Northampton County, the pipeline is to cross Carbon and Bucks countries.

Construction of the pipeline, pending approvals by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), is to begin in 2017.

The pipeline is to transport 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day from the Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale region to provide energy for an estimated 4.7 million homes.

The proposed route is subject to change prior to PennEast filing a formal application with FERC in summer 2015. A preliminary application was filed last month with FERC.

It is not known what, if anything, NASD officials can do concerning the pipeline.

"The school district is a legal entity. It can voice its opinion," Attorney C. Steven Miller, NASD solicitor, told The Press after the Nov. 24 school board meeting.

"I don't know what the overall effect will be," said board member Chuck Longacre, who also represents Moore Township. "We need to investigate what that will be for the school district."

"We need to be educated on the pros and cons of the project," NASD Superintendent Joseph Kovalchik said.

"I wonder if they don't take things like that into consideration," said Rundle of the pipeline builders and its proximity to Moore Elementary.

"We need to look into emergency services with respect to Moore," said Longacre.

A facebook page, Stop the PennEast Pipeline, set up by Concerned Citizens Against the Pipeline, had 1,703 likes as of Nov. 24.

The Gallows Run Watershed Association is to hold "Gas Forum IV," 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2, Palisades High School, 35 Church Hill Road, Kintnersville, Bucks County.

An interactive pipeline map with additional information can be found at penneastpipeline.com/proposed-route/.