ACTION ALERT – NESE in the News 4/13/19

ACTION ALERT – NESE in the News 4/13/19

Issues about the NESE Project were the subject of an investigative report by Brian Thompson that was aired on New York’s NBC Channel 4 on April 11, 2019 during the 11:00 news. To view this, check out NESE in the NEWS!

Remember:

  1. Folks in New Jersey have until May 2 to send comments to the NJDEP about Williams/Transco’s applications for NESE for Flood Hazard Areas, Coastal Wetlands, Waterfront Development and Temporary Dewatering. Send comments to: Matthew.Resnick@dep.nj.gov and Robert.Hudgins@dep.nj.gov, and send copies of comments to Governor Murphy & NJDEP Commissioner McCabe at: Constituent.relations@nj.gov and Commissioner@dep.nj.gov.
  2. All are encouraged to call Governor Murphy at (609) 292-6000 to strongly request that he makes sure that the DEP does not issue any permit if the application does not meet all standards of New Jersey’s regulations.

For comment ideas CLICK HERE (pdf)

The NJDEP will need to make a decision about granting or denying the permits by June 5, 2019. We need to let them know that we expect them to be the Department of Environmental Protection and listen to our concerns.

All comments matter! As Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”

ACTION ALERT – By May 2, tell NJDEP to deny Permit Applications

Action Alert – By May 2, tell NJDEP to deny Permit Applications

FERC will likely issue the “Certificate of Public Convenience & Necessity” this month, but NJDEP can stop the NESE Project if they deny any of the permit applications by June 5, 2019. This is their mandated 90-day deadline after they determined that the applications were “complete for review” as of the date they received all requested information about the applications (February 6).

We have until May 2, 2019 to send written comments to NJDEP to tell them to deny the water quality and dewatering permit applications for the NESE Project.

Send your comments to:

Matthew Resnick
Division of Land Use Regulation Mail Code 501-02A
P.O. Box 420
Trenton, New Jersey 08625 – 0420
Matthew.Resnick@dep.nj.gov

and

Robert Hudgins
Division of Water Supply & Geoscience Mail Code 401-04Q
P.O. Box 420
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0420
Robert.Hudgins@dep.nj.gov

Send copies of comments to:

Governor Phil Murphy
Office of the Governor
PO Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625
Constituent.relations@nj.gov

and

Catherine R. McCabe, Commissioner
NJ Department of Environmental Protection
401 East State St. – 7th Floor, East Wing – PO Box 402
Trenton, NJ 08625-0402
Commissioner@dep.nj.gov

For comment ideas CLICK HERE (pdf)

Copy parts, add your personal reasons,
and remember that the goal is to get NJDEP on our
side so that they reject the applications.

Comments can be sent via snail mail or email.

Also see this document that shows there’s no need by New York for NESE’s gas: False Demand: The Case Against the Williams Fracked Gas Pipeline (PDF)

Former New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Regional Director Suzanne Mattei culled data from a huge range of sources to show that National Grid’s claim that this source of fracked gas is necessary to serve a growing demand is just that: a claim. In this March 2019 report, Mattei shows decisively that the demand for gas to heat homes and businesses will decline over the next ten years due to energy efficiency and the availability of alternative technologies.

ACTION ALERT: Urge Governor Murphy & NJDEP to Deny Water Permit Applications for Compressor Station 206

2019 is the last phase of the permitting and regulatory process for NESE.

We’ve been at this for a long time, and now is a critical time to have your voices heard where they can make a difference.

THE BALL IS IN GOVERNOR MURPHY’S COURT!

FERC issued their final Environmental Impact Statement on 1/25/19. They claim that any impacts from NESE will be temporary or minor. Though we disagree and have sent comments about our concerns to FERC, we still continue to anticipate that FERC will issue the Certificate of Public Convenience & Necessity since FERC does not seriously consider all that we care about and has only rejected a few pipeline projects (because the company did not have buyers for the gas). The Certificate could be issued as early as the end of February and as late as late April 2019.

Now, it’s up to Governor Murphy and the NJDEP to deny or approve water permit applications. NJDEP can stop the assault on our health, safety and the environment posed by the NESE Project.

Williams/Transco submitted their water permit applications to NJDEP on June 20, 2018. They expect to receive the permits in April 2019, but NJDEP has one calendar year to provide or reject the permit applications.

The proposed Compressor Station 206 and pipeline under Raritan Bay will not be built if Williams/Transco does not get all permits needed from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) & New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC).

Please see the new summary of concerns with the NESE Project (PDFs attached) for:

TO DO

Urge Governor Murphy and the NJDEP to look at all aspects of the applications for water permits and hold Williams/Transco to high standards.

ACTION ALERT: Stop NESE – 3 Quick Actions You Can Take Today!

Call to Action: Stop NESE last quick action to FERC prior to FEIS issuance scheduled for 1/25/2019

As we rapidly approach the scheduled release of the FEIS for CP17-101, the question arises, “What can people do to make any impact for stopping this atrocity project from occurring?”

We are calling for the coalition to please take action and reach out to others to take action in the next 20 days leading up to the scheduled FERC FEIS (Final Environmental Impact Statement).  This is the last time where the public will have any meaningful impact on the FERC process. 

We developed 3 quick actions with sample messages that will have impact, especially with more people doing the actions.  Even New York and Pennsylvania people can voice in on these issues.  This might be NJ focused on impact, but the reality is, the more people voicing in, the more force we raise to FERC.

If NY folks have quick bullets of major FERC omissions at this point, please send them on.

Quick 5 minute actions

  1. Call and email Senator Smith (senbsmith@njleg.org, (732) 752-0770, @SenatorBobSmith).
    Bill SR94 sitting in Env & Energy committee that he chairs for more than 5 months.
    Sample message: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1dE1ROHaj94R1YK9rG3a0_XHS_mcJ1GfYSkypkBx4hv0
  2. Call and email Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo (asmdeangelo@njleg.org, (609) 631-7501; @DeAngeloLD14).
    Bill AR164 sitting in Telecommunications & Utilities that he chairs for more than 5 months.
    Sample message: https://drive.google.com/open?id=17ZGOTMOd6GHNOwWXWJ0NCxFwqvzpFb9n7flgjnGQnII
  3. Send comment to FERC and copy your legislators urging FERC to heed impacted residents and municipalities.
    1. Reference Franklin Township 12/20/2018 FERC Submission including FTTF Memo:
      FERC: https://elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/search/intermediate.asp?link_file=yes&doclist=14731233
      Also available on our GoogleDrive: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1FVbdYd9S_iwliWl85fjInFBKt7g_ChRV
    2. Sample Letter: 
      https://drive.google.com/open?id=1rALfYAamSenn73q1FmN8_jrBC1ZpsIUzwRtTUiypmtg

In addition to Franklin Township sending the FTTF Memo to FERC, South Brunswick sent the attached memo to FERC right at the end of 2018.  Waiting for Montgomery and Princeton to do the same, if you live in those areas, please encourage them to do so.

We have come 2 years fighting this project and we have delayed FERC twice.  That is significant.  It is from this coalition and all the actions from the public that the coalition has influenced that enabled the delays.  Let’s capitalize on that and go out with a bang prior to the issuance of the FEIS scheduled for 1/25/2019!

A number of us on FTTF have continued through the last half of 2018 sending comments to FERC, calling elected officials and actively pressing back on Transco even in Twitter.

We urge all the communities engaged to please help residents take this last set of actions prior to the FEIS (including Princeton Manor, Princeton Highlands, Princeton Walk and Princeton University teams)

The FTTF steering committee team would like to wish you Happy New Year and with your help, maybe free of the threat of NESE.

ACTION ALERT: Send Comments to NJDEP by November 20, 2018

DO SOMETHING YOU’LL BE THANKFUL FOR

Speak up for the health, safety & environment of your family, friends and future generations.

Deadline:  Tuesday, November 20, 2018

This is the last date that the NJDEP will consider comments on the Freshwater Wetlands Permit Application of Williams/Transco for the Compressor Station 206 and onland part of the pipeline by Raritan Bay.

REMEMBER:  If all permits are not obtained, the Compressor Station 206 and pipeline near and under the Raritan Bay cannot be built. 

Over 300 concerned residents went to the NJDEP Hearing on November 5, and the 3-minute comments were still being made past 11:00 PM.  That was an amazing showing, but more is needed.

As Abraham Lincoln said in the Lincoln-Douglas debate of 1858,

Public sentiment is everything.
With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it, nothing can succeed.”

This is the time for all to make their concerns known to the NJDEP.  The power of many is needed to stop the Northeast Supply Enhancement Project from creating risks to our health and safety.  Every comment matters!

COMMENT SAMPLES (.docx):

  1. Incomplete Application that is also not compliant with Stormwater Management Rules
  2. Application does not meet “public need” or “public interest” requirements – long & short versions
  3. Application has concerning impacts on wetlands
  4. Application threatens habitats for threatened & endangered species
  5. Health issues related to Freshwater Wetlands Permit Application
  6. Safety issues related to Freshwater Wetlands Permit Application
  7. Summary of Concerns with the Freshwater Wetlands Permit Application

As Margaret Mead said,

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful concerned citizens can change the world.
Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”

ACTION ALERT: Message the NJDEP

TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO PROTECT THE HEALTH & SAFETY OF YOUR FAMILY, FUTURE GENERATIONS, AND THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE LOVE IN NEW JERSEY!

The proposed Compressor Station 206 and pipeline under Raritan Bay will not be built if Williams/Transco does not get all permits needed from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) & New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC).  To stop the NESE Project, your participation is needed by November 20.

Many voices need to tell NJDEP to deny the Freshwater Wetlands permit application for the Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) Project.

Gratitude is extended to over 300 people who shared their concerns about the NESE Project at the NJDEP hearing on November 5, and special thanks go to those who organized the pre-hearing rally.  A huge shout-out goes to folks from Princeton Manor – 125 of the participants came from there.  The hearing lasted for over 5 hours, and people from New York joined us to speak out.  However . . . This is not the end. 

We have until November 20 to send messages to the NJDEP. 

Please see the attached talking points and comment ideas and send them to: matthew.resnick@dep.nj.gov

  • Anyone who spoke at the hearing with prepared comments could also send the NJDEP their comments and/or more written comments.
  • You can also email your elected representatives to urge them to do whatever they can to stop NESE.
  • Please share this message and attachment with your friends and on social media.

Numbers matter! 

We want to be thankful for a large outpouring of comments to the NJDEP on Thanksgiving, so – 

Please copy/paste part(s) of the attached document and add personal comments to let the NJDEP know that we do not want this risky Northeast Supply Enhancement’s Compressor Station 206 or pipeline near and under the Raritan Bay.

Attachments: 

ACTION ALERT: Review NJDEP Application Documents

For the NJDEP hearing, you can review application material from Williams/Transco to NJDEP at:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Bm6kTq6Fv0JJIC-ra2pOXBH5SPYGWf0c?usp=sharing

These were obtained from the NJDEP through an OPRA request.

The hearing on November 5 is for the Freshwater Wetlands application.

Application for Freshwater Wetlands

Read full ACTION ALERT for the November 5 meeting on TAPinto

Note:  Files on the Google drive with “2017” contain material from the original application that was withdrawn.  The current applications, submitted June 20, 2018, should be marked as 2018.  Not all files are clearly labeled, however.

ACTION ALERT: NJDEP Hearing Monday, November 5

NJDEP scheduled a Hearing for the Wetlands Permit Application for NESE and Compressor Station 206.  See the attached notice.

Show up to let NJDEP know what you think about the proposed Compressor Station 206 & the pipeline in Sayreville & Old Bridge that is planned to also go through Raritan Bay.

DATE:  Monday, November 5, 2018

STARTING TIME:  6:00 PM

PLACE:  Franklin Twp. High School – Auditorium – 500 Elizabeth Ave., Somerset, NJ 08873

Fact-Finding Meetings: 

  • NJDEP staff will facilitate the meeting.
  • People usually get 3 minutes to speak at a microphone in front of the group about their concerns, and a stenographer records it.  It’s not like the FERC meeting where you went into a separate room.
  • Pre-written comments can be submitted at the meeting & can be sent after the meeting.
  • We do expect that pro-NESE people will be there to voice their support (like they were at the FERC public meetings), so we want to have many concerned folks there to tell NJDEP why we do not want NESE.
  • You do not need to be there at 6:00, but if you want to speak, you’ll need to sign-up when you arrive.

Then, NJDEP will give a time period and address for sending them more written comments. 

NJDEP has 90 days after holding fact-finding meetings to issue their decision.

From another hearing, NJDEP provided the following directions:

PUBLIC HEARING RULES OF CONDUCT

The purpose of the hearing is to gather public comment from anyone who wishes to speak. Any action taken by any person that prevents the public from commenting is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Anyone who violates these rules of conduct may be removed from the hearing.

  • No signs mounted on sticks, or otherwise attached to an object, are allowed within the auditorium
  • No food or drink is allowed within the auditorium
  • Please remain seated until called forward to provide comment
  • No interrupting when someone is speaking
  • No unruly/disruptive behavior (i.e. yelling, chanting, use of foul language)
  • Testimony will be limited to three minutes per speaker

The Department thanks you for your cooperation and participation in this public process

New Jersey’s Attorney General and others wrote to FERC about their Policies & Procedures.

New Jersey’s Attorney General joined with 6 other Attorneys General in a 36-page submission to FERC when FERC asked for input about revising their policies and procedures.  (on 7/25/18 on Docket No. PL18-1). In it, they detail and support their recommendations:

First, regarding project need, we recommend that the Commission assess need on a comprehensive, regional basis, and expand its analysis beyond the current dependence on precedent agreements, employing heightened scrutiny of precedent agreements with affiliates of project proponents.

Second, we urge the Commission to conduct a more thorough and robust NEPA analysis, comprehensively assessing on a regional basis the impacts of, and alternatives to, a proposed project, considering clean energy and other non-pipeline alternatives, thoroughly analyzing upstream and downstream greenhouse gas emissions, and considering state greenhouse gas emission-reduction policies.

Third, we recommend that the Commission consider environmental harm, including climate impacts quantified using the best available measure—the Social Cost of Carbon—and more heavily weigh the harm from use of eminent domain takings in its public interest assessment when balancing project benefits and harm in making a Certificate decision.

Fourth, we urge the Commission to better incorporate and consider state environmental and land use policies, no longer issue Certificates conditioned on later receipt of state certifications and permits under federal statutes, and to condition Certificates on obtaining and complying with state and local permits that do not unreasonably conflict with or delay approved projects.

Finally, we recommend that the Commission no longer issue partial notices to proceed with construction when Certificate rehearing requests are pending and limit the use and time of tolling periods for rehearing requests.

Click to read the full document from the Attorneys General (7/25/18, PDF)