Company cites lack of environmental permits from N.J.

Susan Phillips
September 27, 2021 | 12:40 PM
Updated: 2021-09-27 17:13:36

After years of battling New Jersey over permits to build a natural gas pipeline from Northeast Pennsylvania to Mercer County — a fight that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court — PennEast has canceled its 116-mile project.

The move comes just three months after the Supreme Court sided with PennEast over the state of New Jersey, which had attempted to block the pipeline company from seizing state-controlled land for the project. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, had granted the company eminent domain to seize land from uncooperative landowners, including the state of New Jersey.

PennEast spokeswoman Pat Kornick issued a statement Monday morning, citing the continued lack of support from the Garden State in acquiring environmental permits.

“Although PennEast received a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from FERC to construct the proposed pipeline and obtained some required permits, PennEast has not received certain permits, including a water quality certification and other wetlands permits under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act for the New Jersey portion of the Project; therefore, the PennEast partners, following extensive evaluation and discussion, recently determined further development of the Project no longer is supported,” the statement read. “Accordingly, PennEast has ceased all further development of the Project.” MORE >>

𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐂𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄: https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2021/09/27/penneast-cancels-pipeline-project-months-after-winning-its-case-at-the-u-s-supreme-court/