ACTION ALERT – Make the Next Few Weeks Count – Speak Up Often

During the week of May 20, call the Governor often and tell him that you expect the NJDEP to deny the water permit applications for the Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) Project by June 5.

Call Governor Murphy between 9AM and 5PM at 866-586-4069

People in NJ and NY understand the risks and long-term impacts from the NESE Project to our health, safety, well-being & economy:

  • more air pollution with associated health problems
  • spread of toxics onland and in the Bay that threaten the health of people and life in the Bay
  • methane releases & risks of fires or explosions from the compressor station and leaks from pipelines that are over 50 years old
  • more frequent & intense weather events – causing flooding, destruction, displacement and lost income – from additional reliance on fossil fuels for the decades-long projected lifespan of NESE

People in NJ & NY are on the record opposing this dangerous Project:

  • On May 15, 2019, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) conditionally denied the Water Quality Certificate and permits for the Raritan Bay Loop part of NESE in NY waters since it would likely have significant Water Quality impacts in New York State. Williams/Transco can reapply since the application was denied “without prejudice”.
  • On May 14, 2019, Franklin Township Council passed a Resolution opposing issuance of permits by the NJDEP for the Northeast Supply Enhancement Project.
  • Thirteen Towns in the Bayshore community, along with Monmouth County Freeholders, passed resolutions opposing NESE during March and April 2019: Aberdeen, Atlantic Highlands, Hazlet, Highlands, Holmdel, Keansburg, Keyport, Long Branch, Matawan, Middletown, Rumson, Sea Bright, and Union.

Now, the ball is in NJDEP’s court to call the balls & strikes

  • Governor Murphy said, in response to questions of Junior Romero of Food & Water Watch on a Call the Governor event: “We review these things assiduously to make sure we do it right.”
  • The NJDEP has until June 5 to do the right thing and reject the permit applications.
  • The NJDEP decisions cannot be arbitrary & capricious in violation of laws and regulations.
  • The NJDEP is both the environmental rule-maker and rule-applier, and they decide the relevance of comments from the public as well as information from William/Transco in their best effort to be objective in their application and enforcement of the rules.
  • The NJDEP decisions must not be influenced by the “Matthew Effect” (found for baseball umpires’ unconscious biases in judgments of their calls of balls & strikes) of unconscious biases that could be influenced by the vast sums of money being spent in Trenton by lobbyists of Williams/Transco.

Williams/Transco continues to update and change information about the permit applications in response to issues raised by the public and questions from the NJDEP. They withdrew their permits in June 2018 because the supplemental information had not yet satisfied the regulatory requirements of New Jersey, and they claimed that this was done to give the NJDEP time needed to review the added information before making a decision. Their re-submitted applications (June 18, 2018) still do not satisfy all applicable regulations. Of note, in the suit filed against E.I. DuPont DeNemours & Co. by the State of New Jersey on 03/27/19 for the Parlin site, it was written that:

 The State has the ability “through the Department, to protect, conserve and manage the natural resources of the State, which are by law precious and invaluable public resources held by the State in trust for the benefit of the public; and the rights of the people of the State to enjoy their natural resources free from interference by pollution and contamination.” (#208, pages 61-62)

“The use, enjoyment, and existence of uncontaminated natural resources is a right common to the general public.” (#207, page 61)

“As the trustee over the State’s natural resources, the State has a duty to protect and restore all natural resources of the State and protect the health and comfort of its inhabitants.” (#216, page 64) Accessed from: https://www.nj.gov/oag/newsreleases19/Parlin_Filed-Complaint_and_Jury- Demand.pdf

It’s time for the NJDEP to acknowledge that the NESE Project is not in the public interest, will not benefit the municipalities where it would be located, and does not meet all regulatory requirements, including those of Stormwater Management, for the permits.