Reject All Permits for NESE Raritan Bay Gas Pipeline & Compressor

Williams Transco is proposing a new fracked gas pipeline expansion in Central New Jersey, attempting to build a 32,000 horsepower gas compressor station in Central NJ and a 23-mile pipeline through the Raritan Bay.

Join us in demanding a better future for our state, children, and environment and an end to the new Transco pipeline expansion.

Sign below to tell the NJ Department of Environmental Protection and Governor Murphy to stop this project.

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Governor Murphy & NJDEP Reject NESE Pipeline Permits

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Dear NJDEP & Governor Murphy,

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I urge the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to reject all pending permits for Transco's proposed Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) project to build a gas compressor station in Franklin Township, a pipeline through Old Bridge and Sayreville, and 23 miles of pipeline through the Raritan Bay. I strongly oppose the project and ask that NJDEP deny Transco’s Freshwater Wetlands, Flood Hazard Area, Waterfront Development, and Coastal Wetlands permit applications. Under the Federal Clean Water Act, NJ DEP has the right and obligation to protect the quality of our local waters.
  
With the construction of the proposed 32,000 horsepower gas-fired turbine-driven Compressor Station 206 to be located in Franklin Township, Transco has not demonstrated that it has minimized or avoided impacts to freshwater wetlands. Transco failed to identify that the impacted wetlands are “exceptional” quality. Nor has Transco sufficiently identified permanent, temporary, and secondary/indirect impacts to the wetlands.

South Brunswick and Franklin Township residents downstream of the proposed Compressor Station 206 are alarmed about flooding because NJ DEP recently noted, “a Short-term Water Use Permit-by-rule or a Temporary Dewatering Permit may be required for the construction of Compressor Station 206 as well as any other projects within Franklin Township.”

The stormwater basin design is undersized, fails to meet NJ requirements, and will not function properly. Transco made similar errors that NJ DEP failed to detect and correct in the design and construction of a recent compressor station in Chesterfield Township (“Garden State Expansion” project).
 
NJDEP may only issue a Freshwater Wetlands Individual Permit if the agency determines that the regulated activity “is in the public interest.” An expert indicates that Transco’s design delivers roughly twice the amount of gas to NYC than is needed for Transco’s stated purpose to convert oil heat for residential and commercial facilities to gas. In addition, a second recently issued report (by 350.org) demonstrates that the additional gas the NESE Project would supply to New York is unnecessary.

If constructed, the NESE pipeline will undermine decades of recovery in Raritan Bay. The proposed pipeline path will disturb migratory fish. Acoustic impacts and harassment of marine mammals will be intensified with an increase in work activity as Transco attempts to squeeze the amount of work originally proposed to be done over 15 months into only 9 months. Acoustic impacts are not fully addressed for fish or turtles relative to updated timelines. Transco is adding new pipe looping (paralleling) and connecting to existing older gas transmission pipelines while adding significantly more volume of gas. There is significant risk from pushing more gas faster and hotter through the aging existing lines.

In light of the above, the NJDEP must reject these permits for the Northeast Supply Enhancement proposal. Furthermore, I urge the NJDEP & Governor Phil Murphy to implement a moratorium on all new & pending fossil fuel pipelines, power-plants, and compressor stations in New Jersey.

Sincerely,

[First Name] [Last Name]
[Your Address]