With hydrofracking banned, NY activists look to stop natural gas pipeline

After almost a decade-long battle, environmentalists and anti-gas activists won a huge victory in late 2014 when Gov. Andrew Cuomo banned high-volume hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in the state. Now, advocates are gearing up for another battle to ban the Constitution Pipeline. 

Several hundred advocates on Tuesday rallied at East Capitol Park to call on the governor to ban the planned 124-mile pipeline, which would extend from Pennsylvania to the Iroquois Gas Transmission and Tennessee Gas Pipeline systems in Schoharie County. The pipeline would run through Broome, Chenango and Delaware counties. 

Anne Marie Garti, one of the founding members of Stop the Pipeline, kicked off the rally with a speech urging people to reject the proposed pipeline.

“Just like we asked the landowners to ‘Just say no’ to the pipeline companies as a way to preserve their property rights and started a revolution across the country, in doing that, as landowners across the United States all say no to the pipeline companies and keep them off their land, just like we asked those landowners, now we’re asking the governor to ‘Just say no,’” Garti said. 

Activists railed against the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which has jurisdiction over natural gas and oil pipeline transportation rates. To move forward with the pipeline, it must be approved by FERC and the state Department of Environmental Conservation must approve several key permits, such as the Section 401 Water Quality Certification.

“DEC is undertaking a careful and thorough review of the necessary state permit applications as required by our protective regulatory programs,” Sean Mahar, director of communications for the state DEC, wrote in an email. “As with all complex proposals that impact a large portion of the state, DEC works with state and federal agencies and other stakeholders to fully understand the potential impacts and make our decisions based on sound science.”

A FERC spokesperson said in an email that the final environmental impact statement for the Constitution Pipeline addressed the environmental concerns raised by advocates.

In response to Tuesday’s rally, the Constitution Pipeline Company, LLC issued a press release addressing the concerns raised by opponents.

“The truth is that more than any other fuel, New York runs on natural gas. And that dependence isn’t changing anytime soon,” the company said. “The Constitution Pipeline will provide consumers in New York with direct access to one of the most abundant, economically-priced natural gas supply sources in the nation – right in its own back yard.”

The company also argued the pipeline is needed by New York, would allow natural gas to be transported to Canada to ship overseas and would actually provide environmental benefits.

But many environmentalists and activists do not agree.

“We won this battle on fracking in New York State and Governor Cuomo has shown his national leadership on that issue and now we’re going to say to him, ‘Please Governor Cuomo, turn down this 401 (water quality certificate),’” environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said at the rally. “Stop this abomination from destroying New York state, a place we love, a place we're proud of. We don’t need it, we don’t want it, tell it to go away.” 

After his speech, Kennedy told reporters he has reached out to both the Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders campaigns, who are currently in New York campaigning before the state’s April 19 primary, about the Constitution Pipeline, but has not heard back. 

He also discussed the potential shutdown of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant, which Cuomo has heavily criticized in recent months for both environmental and safety reasons, given its proximity to New York City. The power plant’s future in New York is uncertain, but Kennedy believes the nuclear facility will be closed.

“We have plenty of alternatives. There’s been lots of studies that show we have the energy now to replace that 2,000 megawatts of power (provided by Indian Point). We don’t need Indian Point, we need to close it,” Kennedy said. “It’s going to close. Governor Cuomo is going to close it.”