According to NJNG’s Third Quarter Fiscal 2019 Highlight report, all land surveys are complete for PennEast Pipeline and NJNG plan to resubmit their application for their pipeline to DEP this month. They also expect to have the Southern Reliability Link (SRL) pipeline in operation by 2020. August 10^th marks the 5^th Anniversary since the New Jersey Sierra Club has been fighting the PennEast natural gas pipeline project.

“PennEast is back, this dangerous and unnecessary pipeline will be applying to DEP for permits later this month. The real battle to stop PennEast starts now. PennEast have completed their land surveys and used eminent domain to get on properties. Now they have the information needed for DEP. The PennEast Pipeline and project would cut through an incredible amount of environmentally sensitive areas, critical drinking water, and historic properties. It must be stopped,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “When Governor Murphy was running for Governor, he said he opposed the PennEast pipeline, now we will see what he does. If Murphy cares about people over polluters, then he must stop PennEast’s unnecessary and unneeded fossil fuel projects with a moratorium before it is too late.”

Besides missing their state and federal permits, PennEast still does not have approval from the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC). All land surveys for the PennEast project are complete

“PennEast’s application was initially kicked out by DEP because they lacked information from homeowner’s properties. Our chapter was part of the fight to keep PennEast off homeowner’s property.  We were able to get 70% of land owners to reject PennEast from doing surveys on their land.  NJNG had to go to court for eminent domain to get on those properties to conduct surveys for the information they needed. Now they are back like Dracula,” said Tittel. “The PennEast Pipeline threatens the open space, farmland, and drinking water for too many and must be stopped. The Murphy Administration can stop the pipeline by reject its 401 Water Quality Certificate or by putting a moratorium on fossil fuels.”

NJNG has already Received Burlington County permits required to complete the Southern Reliability Link (SRL); 50 percent of the 30-mile pipeline is complete.

“While Governor Murphy has said things against PennEast and one of its partners, NJNG, he has been quite. NJNG is halfway done building their SRL pipeline and expect to finish the project by next year despite us still being in court fighting them. We stopped the SJ Gas pipeline and if Governor Murphy would have allowed us a day in court to beat the SRL, 20% of the gas for PennEast would be gone, so if 40% were gone, it would make the project economically not viable. However Murphy has remained silent and now we need to push him to stop these damaging fossil fuel pipelines,” said Tittel.

The New Jersey Sierra Club has been battling with both the Southern Reliability Link and the PennEast Pipeline. NJNG is a 20 % partner in PennEast. August 10^th marks the 5^th anniversary of fighting the PennEast Pipeline.

“The PennEast Pipeline project would cut and ugly scar through the most scenic parts of the Delaware Valley and through an incredible amount of environmentally sensitive areas, critical drinking water, and historic properties. We need the DEP and Governor Murphy to do their job and live up to their promises. Gov. Murphy says he doesn’t want to call balls and strikes. However he already has two strikes against him. He needs to put a moratorium on these destructive fossil fuel projects, otherwise his words are just hot air,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.  “We started the fight with PennEast 5 years ago with the Delaware Riverkeeper Network. NJNG expected to have the pipeline completed 2 years ago but we have been able to delay the project and we will keep on fighting this pipeline until we finally stop them.”