NJ Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy was at the Acme Screening Room in Lambertville this afternoon in a Meet’n’Greet to talk to voters and tell people about his views.

Towards the end of the session, Lorraine Crowne asked this question (note: this is paraphrased):

“I live in the Highlands area, and as you know there are many restrictions to development there because of the Highlands Act.  But now you have the PennEast pipeline proposed to go right through it.  What is your stance on the PennEast project?”.

Mr. Murphy’s response was unequivocal and direct.  He said that he was against the pipeline.  That in his analysis, there was no business case for the project.  That the environmental damage would be unacceptable.  And to answer a followup from Lorraine, he wasn’t just against one route in particular, but he was against the project in any variation or incarnation.

A bunch of HALT PennEast and Citizens Against the Pipeline (CAP) members were able to get a picture with Mr. Murphy and our signs, see below.

In all, we got representatives from Delaware Township CAP, Lambertville CAP, Hopewell Township CAP, West Amwell CAP (that goober in the middle holding up the sign over his head) and HALT PennEast.

One of his staffers also indicated that Mr. Murphy would de-politicize the NJDEP and return it into a truly independent agency dedicated to protecting the State’s environment.

In talking to the crowd Mr. Murphy indicated he was a candidate with his heart in the right place who intended to do good things for the State – but that we shouldn’t take his word for it, and we should hold him accountable that his actions in the future match these words today.  We will certainly do that, and if Mr. Murphy is elected we will remind him (repeatedly!) of the promises of himself and his staffers today.