Organizations Urge DRBC & Governors To Deny PennEast Pipeline

111 organizations and over 1,600 individuals submitted a letter to the governors of New Jersey, New York, Delaware, and Pennsylvania urging them to exercise their full authority and say no to the PennEast pipeline. As Commissioners of the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), all four governors have extensive regulatory authority with regard to the review and decisionmaking over the proposed construction of the PennEast pipeline, which includes approximately 120 miles of pipeline through New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

The letter urges the Governors, in their rule as DRBC Commissioners, to take their decisionmaking authority seriously, stating:
“DRBC has broad authority over pipelines such as PennEast that will inflict significant impacts on the water resources of the basin and should ensure it exercises the full extent of that authority. Every one of the DRBC watershed states has an important stake in the outcome of the PennEast project, and the precedent that it sets for strong and meaningful DRBC review and decisionmaking.”

The letter continues, saying the DRBC has full authority to deny the pipeline:
“Based upon the public record on the PennEast pipeline, it is clear that DRBC has the authority to reject the PennEast pipeline for lack of complete and accurate information, because of the significant and irreparable harm to the water resources of the basin, and/or because of the harmful impacts to the natural resources of impacted states.”

The letter also singles out Governors Murphy and Wolf, calling on them to be vigilant in the exercise of their state level authority stating:
“In addition, Governors Murphy and Wolf, your environmental agencies have an irreplaceable obligation pursuant to the Clean Water Act to ensure compliance with all applicable state water quality standards.”

“The 4 Governors and the DRBC are setting important precedent when it comes to review and decisionmaking over pipelines that cut through the waterways and resources of the Delaware River watershed. The steps and decisions they take with regards to PennEast will dictate how all other pipelines are treated down the line. The data on the record already makes clear, the PennEast pipeline will inflict irreparable, illegal and unacceptable harm on our water resources, our community and our environment, all for a fracked gas pipeline that is neither needed nor wanted. In 2012 the DRBC ignored the Delaware Riverkeeper Network and our multiple efforts to highlight their obligations to review the first of this new wave of major fracked gas pipelines cutting through our watershed. They got it wrong and pipelines built by Columbia Gas and Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co inflicted irreparable harm. In 2013 DRBC had to acknowledge, in a letter to me, their massive error. We are urging them not to make the same mistake. We are urging the Governors and the DRBC to listen to the people of the watershed now, before it is too late and to deny PennEast,” said Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper and leader of the regional Delaware Riverkeeper Network, a leading opponent of the PennEast Pipeline.

“The new alternatives presented by PennEast do not adequately mitigate the potential environmental and water resource impacts in the basin, but rather, introduce entirely new issues that must be considered by the DRBC. Moreover, the review of this project has been ongoing for many years now, and much of the information that was presented during the course of this project is now outdated. The DRBC must reconsider the implications of this project in the context of the changes that have occurred since this project was first proposed,” said Arianne Elinich of Bucks County Concerned Citizens Against the Pipelines.

"Our nation is experiencing an unprecedented aggressive push for natural gas pipeline expansion at a time when the public is demanding protection of natural resources and bold action on climate change. By 2022, we're unlikely to have any permanent Arctic sea ice left. We have 3 years to reverse course, perhaps 11 years to completely transition off fossil fuels. True leadership makes difficult decisions in times of crisis. This is an emergency of epic proportions. We appeal to you to stop the PennEast pipeline now," said Stephanie Scherr, Director, ECHO Action NH.

“One of the main reasons that people flock to Bucks County for weekends, vacations and days of pleasure is because we have the Delaware River as one of our borders. The building of pipelines to support the Natural Gas Industry is the exact opposite of what will preserve the beauty of this River and the towns along it, the jobs that are dependent on it, and the sanity that living in a place that values clean water bestows on its inhabitants. Build PennEast and the rest of this industry will follow and we will all regret that day. Stop it now!,” said Sharon Furlong, Bucks Environmental Action and Bucks County Sierra Club.

“The Delaware River Basin is one of the most important natural resources in our region and must be protected from the threat of unneeded fossil fuel pipelines. The DRBC has the authority to stop projects that would cause significant and irreparable harm to the river and its tributaries. We join in urging them to use it in their pending review of the proposed PennEast pipeline,” said Tom Gilbert, campaign director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation and Rethink Energy NJ.

“Pollution destroying recreation - money over public health and safety. It is time for legal action to claim our constitutional and civic rights to stop the increasing pollution of the Delaware Estuary. Our constitutional rights to clean air water and earth, our economic rights to be protected, our civil rights, our leadership rights (by the people and for the people), our health, and our lives and values in general are all being illegally violated by the United States government allowance of money being more important than the people.. Kids grow up thinking that our representatives in congress, senate, president etc. are "leaders". They are not. We the people are the leaders. It is time for the people to get back in partnership and stop this or tomorrow's children will suffer,” said Richard Hunt McNutt, President, Tidewaters Gateway Partnership Inc.

"The Centre County Green Party is opposed to the Penn East pipeline because it will carry climate challenging fracked gas, some of which may be extracted from our county," said Doug Mason, Chair, Centre County Green Party.

“As citizens living in Luzerne County, the starting point for the Penneast, we have some serious safety and environmental concerns about the pipeline. First is the safety of the 3,400 children attending the 4 Dallas Schools, K through 12th grade that is just 1,400 feet from the start point. The Penneast will connect to a 3 pipeline hub that contains the Transco and two others. We have never been told what the blast radius would be if a pipeline in that hub were to explode. Secondly, it will pass through a neighborhood to rock quarries in Plains Township where they blast the rock with explosives. Houses in the vicinity have cracked foundations and broken windows because of the explosions, and the pipeline will be closer than the blasting than those houses,” said Scott Cannon, Action Together. “Finally, the section where the pipeline is to cross the Susquehanna River in Wyoming is peppered with very shallow and poorly mapped mine shafts. The area is famous for the Knox Mind Disaster of 1959 when 12 miners were killed from digging too close to the river bed. The event put an end to the coal era of the Wyoming Valley. These are just some of the issues in 6 miles of a 120 mile pipeline, which we feel is not worth the risk.”

"The data and science are clear: pipelines pollute water and fossil fuel buildout is a climate threat to peoples' lives. By allowing this pipeline, DRBC and state governors are saying 'yes, please' to more pollution and climate chaos," said Melissa Troutman, Earthworks Research & Policy Analyst.

The PennEast pipeline will cross through multiple protected streams, fragment forests, and inflict significant and irreparable damage to our wetlands and communities. It is proposed to cross Special Protection designated reaches of the Lower Delaware River, and is also proposed to cross under the F.E.Walter and Beltzville reservoirs and several existing recreation project areas listed in the DRBC's Comprehensive Plan. View the letter at this link.