Don't let New York get FERCed!
September 26, 2017
Richard Webster
Tell DEC to fight fracked gas pipeline approved by Trump commission
Photo: Mark Klotz, Creative Commons
Earlier this month, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) overruled the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s denial of a Water Quality Certification for Millennium Pipeline Company’s Valley Lateral Pipeline Project. Riverkeeper previously submitted comments to DEC detailing the many negative impacts this project would have on the waterways and wetlands in its path.
New York denied the certification because the environmental review of the project was “inadequate and deficient.” Specifically, FERC failed to consider the foreseeable climate change impacts of burning fracked natural gas that would be transported by the pipeline.
FERC’s override of the state’s decision on a technicality—asserting that New York only had a year from the date of the pipeline company’s application to make a decision —occurred shortly after a new Trump appointee took office as Chairman of the Commission.
Now, New York has less than 30 days to file an appeal pushing back against FERC’s extreme and unwarranted determination that the state waived its right to protect our waterways. If this ruling stands, pipeline companies will be able to submit inadequate applications and try to time out New York’s chance to decide for itself whether its waters will be affected by the pipeline. Other pipeline operators are already jumping at the opportunity to bypass the state with a federal waiver, while national environmental groups are up in arms. We can’t allow FERC to open the floodgates for pipelines carrying fracked natural gas through New York State. DEC shouldn’t let New Yorkers get FERCed; it must fight this decision as vigorously as possible and stop the pipeline construction during the time it takes to do the additional environmental review.
Riverkeeper members and supporters like you banned fracking in New York, and we need your help again! Tell DEC to push back against FERC’s outrageous overreach of New York’s right to protect us from pipelines carrying fracked natural gas that threaten our communities and our waterways.
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