The NJDEP (Dept. of Environmental Protection) sent an official letter yesterday to PennEast Pipeline Co. denying the incomplete application PennEast submitted last year.

Tom Gilbert, campaign director for the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, issued the following statement in response:

“We’re very pleased that NJDEP has denied PennEast’s illegal application. The conditional Certificate that FERC recently issued for PennEast clearly states that the pipeline can’t proceed without water permits from NJDEP. PennEast is trying to claim that FERC’s Certificate means the project is a done deal, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The project cannot go forward without DEP’s environmental review, which has not yet started,” said Tom Gilbert, campaign director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation. “PennEast wants to put a polluting, dangerous pipeline across dozens of pure streams and rivers that are the source of our drinking water. If PennEast reapplies to NJDEP, we are confident that their damaging pipeline won’t be able to meet the strict standards that project our water and natural resources.”

In June 2017, NJDEP administratively closed PennEast’s deficient application.