New Jersey
Related: About this forumTrying to prevent a natural gas pipeline in Jersey City
This fight has been going on for a while now. They're trying to run a natural gas pipeline through downtown Jersey City rather than in the Hudson River. Do I need to say how dangerous this would be?
I have been given permission to post the entire article by it's author, Dale Hardman. But I can still shorten it if I need to. (Just let me know and I will.)
http://nogaspipeline.org/
Jersey City intervenors force FERC to postpone final EIS!
Final Environmental Impact Statement and date of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) final ruling on pipeline postponed.
FERC has given a "Notice of Revised Schedule for Environmental Review of the New Jersey -New York Expansion Project". The original dates were January 27, 2012 for the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and April 30, 2012 for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) 90-day Federal Authorization Decision Deadline ruling on the interstate “NJ-NYC Expansion Project”. FERC is authorized by Congress and appointed by the President to have exclusive oversight ruling on all US interstate pipelines.
On December 9, 2011 as a result of the 500-plus intervenors questions, FERC's staff sent a data request of ten pages of questions to Spectra Energy. The answers must be analyzed and incorporated into the final EIS. The number of intervenors exceeds the prior national record of 39 intervenors who had asked to be granted this special status before FERC. Only intervenors may sue FERC in federal court.
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As a result of these questions by intervenors on the draft EIS, FERC has requested an extension for both the final EIS and FERC's final ruling. The new dates are March 16, 2012 for the final EIS and June 14, 2012 for the FERC final ruling.
This postponement gives NO Gas Pipeline more time to gather members throughout Jersey City and the US since this is a federal case of interstate oversight, just like Exxon's Keystone XL pipeline.
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Some of the special questions that intervenors brought forward include the following:
Noise ordinances and Spectra Energy compliance Port Authority questions to Spectra of compliance and negotiated access to their property Impacts by pipeline construction to water, nature and the environment.
These are all major areas that Spectra is not in compliance. One example is in regards to noise ordinances.
Spectra Energy has stated they intend to operate their construction over 24 hours and 7 days a week. Spectra intends to operate construction over a nine month period. Spectra previously stated it would take two years to complete work by November 2013 when their Con Ed contract requires “gas on” by that date.
Spectra has also stated they intend to operate at 55 decibels (dba) of noise or more during each twenty four hour day, seven days a week. This is in spite of Spectra being informed by the NJ Department of Environmental protection (DEP) that they must operate under local noise orinances. Hudson County Regional Noise Ordinance ( http://www.hudsonregional.org/pdf/noisecode.pdf )has specific prohibitions under Article VI: Prohibited Acts; Section 6.2 Specific Prohibitions; Section 6.2.4:
CONSTRUCTION Operating or permitting the operation of any tools or equipment used in construction, drilling, earthmoving, excavating or demolition work between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the following day on weekdays or at any time on weekends or legal holidays, provided such equipment is equipped with a proper muffler except for (a) emergency work, (b) by special variance issued pursuant to Article X, or (c) when specified in Table I in Section 7.1.
It will be interesting to see what Spectra Energy comes back with to answer FERC as they have been vague on many questions asked by FERC on behalf of parties including Jersey City, Port Authority, LeFrack Development and NO Gas Pipeline to list just a few intervenors.
What you can do during the meantime is to become a member of NO Gas Pipeline. This is the only way to stop the Jersey City Spectra Energy gas pipeline. Becoming a member helps us get legal standing to sue FERC in federal court to overturn FERC's ruling. Tell your friends through email, download our palm cards on our site under “Take Action” and let your social media friends know through sharing our site or at this link:
> http://www.nogaspipeline.org/membership/
Jersey City is depending on each of us to do our part.
(c) Dale Hardman
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