Gov. Murphy Must Stop NESE Now

The New Jersey Sierra Club, as part of the Stop NESE Coalition, held a rally today opposing the NESE project. A decision on project permits is due June 5. The coalition is urging Governor Murphy and the NJDEP to deny all permits associated with the dangerous Williams/Transco Northeast Supply Enhancement Project. The Cuomo Administration rejected permits for the NESE project and now it is up to the Murphy Administration to do the same,” Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club released the following statement:

“Governor Murphy needs to stand up and protect the environment and public safety by making DEP deny Transco’s permits. This is crunch time. A decision on the permits is due next week. If the governor cares about reducing greenhouse gases, moving to 100% renewable energy, and protecting our waterways and bays, then he must have DEP deny these permits. If he wants to protect us from pipelines blowing up, he must deny the permits. If he wants to protect the people from the pollution this project will cause, he must deny the permits.

“The NESE pipeline will cut across contaminated sites in Middlesex and Monmouth counties on its way into Raritan Bay. The route includes two Superfund sites, the Raritan Bay Slag and Higgins Farm sites. Construction will disrupt 1 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment, releasing buried toxins including arsenic, lead and PCBs. The project’s compressor station will release greenhouse gases such as methane, ethane and MTBEs. Industrial runoff from the station that includes metals such as chromium, volatile organic chemicals and oil will worsen pollution. Vital wetlands will be destroyed that will also increase pollution and flooding. This project will not meet Surface Water Quality Standards, and the permits must be denied.

“Some have said we should leave this decision to DEP. We can’t leave this to DEP alone, the Department of Excessive Pipelines. DEP has already approved three pipeline projects under Gov. Murphy — Lambertville East, Rivervale South and the Roseland Compressor station. They’ve also approved three power plants — Sewaren 7, Phoenix Energy and in the Meadowlands. They just recently approved a LNG port in Gibbstown. They have refused to put a stay on the Southern Reliability Link in the Pinelands. DEP cannot be trusted. They have never turned down a pipeline permit on substantive issues and environmental grounds in recent history. This should be their first denial. This is where they need to change what they’re doing. DEP tells us their hands are tied, but they have the authority to stop this project. That’s why the governor needs to tell them their hands aren’t tied, make them do their job and say no to Transco.

“The Murphy administration has not rolled back even one of Gov. Christie’s rules making it easier to build pipelines, including the Flood Hazard Rules, Stream Encroachment Rules, and Wetlands Rules. Even with these rules in place, the science is on our side, the facts are on our side, the laws and rules are on our side, and the public is on our side. The DEP needs to do its job and deny the project under the 401 Water Quality Certificate. The siltation and runoff from this project will not allow them to certify that this project will meet Surface Water Quality Standards and not pollute the waters. Gov. Murphy needs to stand with Gov. Cuomo and stand with the people to deny the water permits.

“Gov. Cuomo did the right thing in New York by rejecting environmental permits for NESE, citing concerns about water quality and aquatic life. Now Gov. Murphy and DEP must step up and do the same by denying the NESE permits. Transco has already re-applied for the permits in New York, so the project is still alive. This is a critical test for Gov. Murphy to deliver on campaign commitments to reduce greenhouse gases and move toward 100 percent renewable energy. He must side with the people, not the polluters.

“Denying the permits will protect the public health and safety, and the environment. Gov. Murphy cannot permit disaster to strike. There’s nothing in this project for New Jersey other than environmental degradation because the gas is all going to New York. New York doesn’t even want the pipeline either, and turned it down. The gas companies get the money, New York gets the gas, and we get the pipe. Now it’s New Jersey’s turn to reject Transco. Gov. Murphy says that he doesn’t call balls and strikes on pipelines and power plants. The governor needs to do his job and tell Transco that you’re out, you’re out of the game, get out of New Jersey, and leave us the FERC alone!