Secretary Debbie-Anne A. Reese
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street, NW
Washington, DC 20426

Docket No. PF24-4-000; Scoping Period Comments on Environmental Issues for the Planned DeLa Express Project.

Dear Secretary:

I stand with Pipeliners Local 798 in wanting to support the DeLa Express Project, a potentially impactful investment in our southern natural gas infrastructure network. My support is contingent on project developers demonstrating a commitment to building and operating this pipeline and associated compressor stations in such a way that respects landowners’ rights, supports good jobs for the area Union workforce and flows positive economic activity through local communities.

This project is anticipated to create more than 5,300 good-paying jobs - including approximately 380 full-time jobs - and generate significant revenue for area business and services. Once placed into service, the system will help address the pipeline constraints that currently hamper the region. All this is good reason to be excited about DeLa Express. But the support from Pipeliners Local 798 does not come blindly. This Local represents the nation's most highly-trained, dedicated and experienced craftsmen, and their members expect project developers operate with the same integrity and commitment that they do.

I am proud to share my name as a supporter of the DeLa Express Project if the following commitments are fulfilled:

• Work with landowners to ensure their property is respected. The company has already begun this process through comprehensive analysis of strategies to avoid sensitive environmental resources and otherwise congested areas by conducting desktop analysis and deploying field surveys. It is also promising to know that approximately 84% of the pipeline route is collated with or parallel to existing utility rights-of-way. 
• Ensure that project benefits - including job opportunities, tax revenue and associated activity - are distributed as much as possible to local economies. I understand that the gas that travels through this pipeline will be exported to overseas markets, which means the regional project benefits are limited to economic. This still has the potential of being incredibly powerful, considering approximately 5,300 jobs are expected and significant tax revenue will come. I especially hope developers take this opportunity to invest in the local workforce so these aren't simply short-lived jobs for a handful of local craftsmen and mostly outsourced workers. Those who live and work in their own community are more prone to give back, to invest and to support small businesses in that community. 
• Provide opportunities for full-time, long-term employment for local craftsmen. Speaking again to the point directly above, the men and women in Local 798, in particular, depend on this sort of project work to provide for their families and plan for their own self-sufficient retirement rather than depend on tax-funded social programs. High quality work comes with a cost, but that is a worthy investment to ensure DeLa Express is built and operated in the safest and more efficient manner possible.

The DeLa Express Project represents a multi-billion dollar investment into our nation's energy infrastructure network, with the potential of providing long-term tax revenue and good jobs that benefit American workers and their families. In order to optimize these benefits, it's important that project developers commit to the goals discussed above that prioritize landowner rights, economic prosperity in local communities and job security for the skilled tradesmen.

[signed below]