State kills controversial Williams Pipeline planned for Rockaway waters
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The state Department of Environmental Conservation rejected an application to build a 17.4-mile underwater gas pipeline from New Jersey to the waters off the Rockaway Peninsula. AP Photo/Wayne Parry, File
By David Brand
The state Department of Environmental Conversation has formally rejected a controversial pipeline project that would have pumped fracked gas through New York Harbor and the waters near the Rockaway Peninsula.
The project, commonly known as the Williams Pipeline, was put forth by the Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, or Transco, as a way to provide more natural gas to customers in Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan. Environmental advocates sharply criticized the proposal and said the gas pipeline would threaten water quality. They also argued that building a new natural gas pipeline would violate the state’s commitment to weaning off fossil fuels.
In a letter May 15, the DEC said the state was rejecting the proposal based on Transco’s “inability to demonstrate the Project’s compliance with all applicable water quality standards.”
Transco needed DEC approval to proceed with the project, which would deliver gas fracked by the Oklahoma-based firm Williams. The application was Transco’s third attempt to get environmental approval under the federal Clean Water Act.
The proposed Williams Pipeline would have cut through the waterways along Queens and Brooklyn. Map courtesy of the Williams Company, file
Environmental advocates praised the decision to reject the project, with the organization Stop the Williams Pipeline commending the “strength” of Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the DEC.
“The decision proves that Albany gets the bigger picture that connects public with planetary wellbeing and will not be swayed by corporate propaganda that puts profits above the best interests of the people,” Stop the Williams Pipeline said in a statement.
“But let’s be clear: this victory is mainly because of grassroots activism and the unflagging determination of New Yorkers,” they added.
The 17.4-mile-long, 26-inch diameter tube would have run underwater from Raritan Bay, New Jersey, south of Staten Island, to the waters off the coast of the Rockaway Peninsula. The gas would originate from fracking plants in central Pennsylvania and serve as an extension of an existing network of natural gas pipelines stretching along the East Coast.
Queens State Sen. Joseph Addabbo, who represents part of the Rockaways, called the denial a “great victory for our environment.”
Advocates, he said, “came together to protect our environment from a project that would be obsolete in the near future, as we are innovating new ways of providing clean energy for New York.”
Williams did not respond to a request for comment.
UPDATE: May 21, 2020 — A spokesperson for Williams provided the following statement:
“We are disappointed with the decisions of New York and New Jersey to deny the Northeast Supply Enhancement project’s permits. While we continue to believe in the fundamentals of this project, we will not refile in New Jersey or New York at this time. The decision to pause this important infrastructure project is unfortunate for the region as the design and construction would have generated valuable economic activity in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York and would have directly and indirectly supported more than 3,000 jobs during the construction period.
Natural gas remains a critical part of our country’s energy mix that creates affordability for utility customers and ensures reliability while renewables scale. Williams is committed to meeting the demand for a clean alternative to heating oil and diesel, and we are prepared to deliver reliable and affordable natural gas to meet the clean energy needs in the areas in which we operate.”
