A controversial pipeline project rejected by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has been resubmitted.
And though the window for public comments just opened, it is closing Friday, Aug. 2, according to a local environmental official.
Clean Ocean Action will push the NJDEP to hold a public hearing at a location in the Bayshore, according to its attorney.
Last month the NJDEP denied six crucial permits for a pipeline that would have stretched more than 23 miles across the Raritan and New York bays to connect Middlesex County and the Breezy Point section of Queens.
The interstate portion of the pipeline is a part of the Northeast Supply Enhancement project – better known as NESE – a $1 billion initiative by the Williams energy company to extend its natural gas footprint throughout the northeast region.
If approved, the pipeline will carry natural gas through New Jersey to New York City and parts of Long Island.
With the public comment window due to close in about two weeks, the environmental organization will urge the DEP to hold a local public hearing.
“While it’s unfortunate the application is back, it is an opportunity for the DEP to rectify a previous mistake and finally engage the Bayshore community in this discussion,” Blair said.
Borough of Highlands administrator Kim Gonzalez said a public hearing in the Bayshore is necessary given the impact this project could have on the area’s tourism and commercial fishing industries.
She noted that some environmental experts believe the construction in bay waters could disrupt about 1 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment, which would disperse toxic chemicals and carcinogens into the bay.
“There are recreational sports, infrastructure repairs and livelihoods that will be impacted by any interference with these waters. For Highlands and other Bayshore towns, we need to know what the development of this pipeline would mean for the future of our fishing and clamming industries. There’s a lot at stake, and we need answers. Residents and public officials need to know what could happen and what is the plan if this project moves forward and there is a problem,” Gonzalez said.
The NJDEP issued a June 5 denial without prejudice against the Williams’ permit, specifically denying the project’s land-use elements, including a compressor station in Franklin Township, a pipeline in Sayreville and Old Bridge and an additional section of pipeline in the Raritan Bay.
According to a statement issued by the DEP, the application did not demonstrate “a compelling public need.”
The DEP also indicated that Williams’ proposed dredging could negatively impact surface water quality in Bayshore waters.
Williams resubmitted its application June 10, an action Blair said is significant.
“It means there hasn’t been much of an update to the application. The speed at which they (Williams) reapplied illustrates that. There are serious environmental concerns, such as ocean dumping, that they (Williams) still has not addressed,” Blair said.
