A major pipeline project that would have transported natural gas through New Jersey and under two bays to New York has been canceled by Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Williams Companies. The company allowed its Northeast Supply Enhancement pipeline project to end by letting a key construction application expire and not seeking an extension for it. Environmentalists and community groups who had fought the proposal for eight years celebrated the news, citing concerns over the environmental and safety impacts of the pipeline along its route. The decision was hailed as a victory for the opposition groups, with Clean Ocean Action’s executive director calling it “an extraordinary victory, a David and Goliath moment.”
The Northeast Supply Enhancement project would have included a gas-fired compressor station in Franklin Township and the installation of 23 miles of pipeline through the Raritan and Lower New York bays en route to Queens in New York City. Despite believing in the project’s potential to provide a cleaner alternative to heating oil for consumers, Williams Companies confirmed they are no longer pursuing a certificate from the federal agency for the project. The decision to end the pipeline project was seen as a positive step towards reducing reliance on fossil fuels and addressing climate change concerns, according to environmental advocates.
On the same day that the pipeline project was canceled, two companies, Delaware River Partners and Bradford County Real Estate Partners, announced their commitment to proceeding with a different project to liquefy natural gas in Pennsylvania and transport it to an export facility in New Jersey by tanker truck. This alternative plan, which involves bypassing the original proposal to transport the gas by rail, has faced criticism from environmental groups who argue that transporting the gas through communities by truck poses unnecessary safety risks. The Sierra Club has expressed opposition to the project and intends to continue fighting it until it is officially canceled.
While the federal regulators had suspended authorization for transporting liquefied natural gas by rail, Bradford County Real Estate Partners stated that their facility in Pennsylvania is designed to not require rail cars and is unaffected by the moratorium. The company affirmed its plans to proceed with the project despite concerns raised by environmental advocates. The decision to transport liquefied natural gas by tanker truck through Pennsylvania and New Jersey has raised further concerns about the increased extraction and shipment of methane gas from Pennsylvania, highlighting the ongoing debates surrounding energy infrastructure projects and their environmental impacts. The companies involved in the project have not provided immediate comments on the opposition and concerns raised by environmental groups.
