Saturday, May 18, 2019

Gas pipeline in Rockaway gets kiboshed



QNS


New York State rejected the application for the controversial Williams Pipeline, also known as the Northeast Supply Enhancement Project, the $1 billion pipeline that would have transported fracked natural gas from Pennsylvania under New York Harbor terminating just over three miles off Rockaway Beach.

More than 60 elected officials — including City Councilman Costa Constantinides, state Senator Joseph Addabbo and Comptroller Scott Stringer — had announced their opposition to the 24-mile pipeline along with 250 organizations and nearly 20,000 who stand against the project.

National Grid had warned the pipeline was necessary to provide guaranteed service to new gas customers, including Governor Andrew Cuomo’s $1.18 billion Belmont Park redevelopment plan. 

Environmentalists warned the project would prolong dependence on fossil fuels instead of moving towards a clean energy future and that construction would pollute the waters by kicking up toxic heavy metals in the sediment.

“As currently conceived in the application, construction of the NESE pipeline project is projected to result in water quality violations and fails to meet New York State’s rigorous water quality standards,” the state Department of Environmental Conservation said in a statement released Wednesday. “Specifically, construction of the proposed project would result in significant water quality impacts from the re-suspension of sediments and other contaminants, including mercury and copper.”

Stringer called the decision a major victory.

“We’ve been outspoken in opposition to the pipeline from the beginning, and I am so proud of the coalition of dedicated advocates who refused to have their voices drowned out be entrenched interests,” he said. “The fossil fuel industry learned an important lesson, they are no match against the people of New York. When we fight back, we win.”

The fight is far from over because the DEC rejection was “without prejudice” meaning the Oklahoma-based Williams Transco could reapply.

“The Department of Conservation raised a minor technical issue with our application for water quality certification,” Williams Transco spokesman Chris Stockton said. “Our team will be evaluating the issue and resubmitting the application quickly. We are confident that we can be responsive to this technical concern, meet our customer’s in-service date and avoid a moratorium that would have a devastating impact on the regional economy and environment.”

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Utter madness.

Where do these people think you get energy to heat you homes or power electrical generation plants?

When Gov Quasimodo shuts down Indian Point where will you get your energy?

And a nice touch with calling it fracked natural gas.
Fracked natural gas is the same as natural gas. But it makes a nice spin.


JQ LLC said...

Anon re: spin

That's actually a good point.

Liman said...

The killer line: "Environmentalists warned the project would prolong dependence on fossil fuels instead of moving towards a clean energy future..." Sooo, we can't have it because we need it. It will work. That would be bad. And why exactly does this concern the Comptroller's Office?

Anonymous said...

Our future "clean" energy is already here but is not being used.
Thorium-based nuclear power will be used and are are designed to be meltdown proof !

Anonymous said...

Makes me feel a lot safer- during hurricanes the barometric pressures fluctuate rapidly As a neighbor said weird things happen during hurricanes
We could have all been blown up by that gas line! What if terrorists went after it with drones?!