Williams bans pipeline surveyors for trespassing

Katie Colaneri

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Katie Colaneri is a reporter for StateImpact Pennsylvania and WHYY in Philadelphia covering energy and the environment. Before joining StateImpact, Katie worked as an investigative and enterprise reporter at WBGO in Newark, New Jersey. She covered some of New Jersey's biggest stories including the devastation and aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, as well as the day-to-day triumphs and struggles to revitalize state's largest city. A native of New Jersey with roots in South Central Pennsylvania, Katie holds a bachelor's degree from Wellesley College.

August 7, 2014 | 3:51 PM

Lancaster Newspapers reports a crew of pipeline surveyors trespassed on at least five properties in Lancaster County. The surveyors were contractors for the pipeline company Williams, which has now banned the workers from this and all future projects, according to a spokeswoman.
Five landowners spoke about the incidents in a press conference last night in Martic Township.
More from Lancaster Newspapers:

Each said their property is posted with “no trespassing” signs and none had given Williams permission to be on their property.
The gathering, organized by the citizens’ group Lancaster Against Pipelines, was held in the Venture Drive backyard of Tracey McVey.
McVey said she came home from work Tuesday afternoon to see three men in orange vests standing at the edge of her yard. When questioned, they told her they were surveying for the proposed pipeline.
When told they were trespassing, they took a step backward and told her “We’re now not on your property.”

Williams spokeswoman Cindy Ivey told Lancaster Newspapers in an email that the company has “an established procedure to review survey plans for each week.” The procedure includes a review of which property owners that have and have not given permission for surveyors to do their work.
“This particular crew did not follow our established procedures and has been relieved of their duties,” Ivey wrote. “They will not be allowed to return to the project or work on any other Williams’ project.”