Edison residents oppose putting cell tower near gas pipeline

Memories of March 23, 1994 weigh heavily on Alan Dudas when he thinks about the cell phone tower that could soon be erected near his Edison home.
Usually, when a cell phone site is set to pop up, those opposed worry they’ll be exposed to radiation or see their property values drop.
But the 49-year-old Dudas is most concerned that T-Mobile is proposing to build the tower less than 40 feet from a natural gas pipeline off Elizabeth Avenue.
“If the operators make an oops, we go kaboom,” he said. “We’re going to have another Durham Woods.”
In Edison, natural gas lines often make people think of one thing. Sixteen years ago, just before midnight on March 23, a 36-inch-diameter Texas Eastern pipeline exploded near the Durham Woods apartment complex, sending a giant fireball 2,000 feet into the sky that turned nighttime into day.
The blast injured 100 people, displaced 1,500 residents, destroyed eight buildings and caused $25 million in damage. One woman died of a heart attack.
That’s why hundreds of residents have signed a petition, asking the zoning board to deny T-Mobile’s proposal to build the cell tower near a residential neighborhood in North Edison, not far from Menlo Park Elementary School.
“Why even take that risk?” asked Janet Santoro, a former Carteret borough councilwoman who moved to Edison six years ago. “One mistake, and you can’t replace lives.”
Santoro noted that the danger still exists: In January, a PSE&G natural gas line exploded off Route 27 in Edison, leveling a doctor’s office and causing dozens to be evacuated.
Edison took precautions after Durham Woods to prevent another disaster, establishing an ordinance prohibiting any construction within 75 feet of gas lines, township engineer John Medina said.
The cell tower itself — which T-Mobile officials said is needed to improve weak coverage in the area — wouldn’t require digging. The antennas will be tacked onto an existing PSE&G high tension tower in a right of way.
But T-Mobile would also construct an equipment shed, 37 feet from a Texas Eastern gas line. To do so, T-Mobile would need the Edison zoning board to grant them a variance.
T-Mobile official Jane Builder said the company hires engineering and environmental experts to inspect all sites for potential hazards. She said the company would also dig by hand instead of using large equipment, under the supervision of PSE&G, Texas Eastern and Edison officials.
“We meet safety standards and local codes,” said Builder, T-Mobile’s Northeast senior manager of external affairs.
Edison’s mayor and township council members declined to comment on the tower, saying it’s a zoning board issue.
The township zoning board delayed making a decision on the tower after residents complained at its Oct. 19 meeting. The board is scheduled to discuss the topic again Nov. 30.

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