Comptroller Stringer and Elected Leaders Urge FERC to Reject Williams Pipeline Permit Extension

(New York, NY) – New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer and 26 City and State elected leaders sent a letter to Chairperson Richard Glick and Commissioners of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) calling on the federal government to reject an extension of permits for the Williams Northeast Supply Enhance Pipeline (Williams Pipeline). The letter follows the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s denial of the pipeline due to the threats to health and safety that the proposal would have on New York Harbor and the surrounding environment. The joint letter called on the FERC to listen to the strong showing of opposition to the pipeline, including more than 16,000 public comments.

The undersigned emphasized the paramount importance of rejecting energy policies that have resulted in decades of fossil fuel pollution and environmental racism – hitting communities of color most acutely – and instead investing in renewables sources of energy that are efficient, meet growing demand, and achieve increased electrification. The letter argued that the Williams Pipeline is a damaging proposal with substantial emissions impacts that render it no longer serving the public interest – especially considering the urgent fight to reduce carbon emissions and the work to reverse the damaging effects of climate change for future generations.

New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards

New York State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr.

New York State Senator Alessandra Biaggi

New York State Senator Jabari Brisport

New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes

New York State Senator Brad Hoylman

New York State Senator Brian Kavanagh

New York State Senator Jessica Ramos

New York State Senator Julia Salazar

New York State Senator James Sanders

New York State Assemblymember Khaleel Anderson

New York State Assemblymember Brian Barnwell

New York State Assemblymember Robert Carroll

New York State Assemblymember William Colton

New York State Assemblymember Harvey Epstein

New York State Assemblymember Emily Gallagher

New York State Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani

New York State Assemblymember Marcela Mitanyes

New York State Assemblymember Stacey Pheffer-Amato

New York State Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon

New York State Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest

New York City Council Member Costa Constantinides

New York City Council Member Brad Lander

New York City Council Member Carlina Rivera

Rockaways District Leader Lew Simon

Rockaways District Leader Jeanette Garramone

“New Yorkers have said loud and clear that they want to live in a city that is on a path to a greener, more sustainable future. The proposed Williams Pipeline is completely antithetical to that goal and would constitute a monumental step backwards in the fight against climate change. This fossil fuel infrastructure risks damage to many of New York’s most precious habitats and natural assets, including New York Harbor, Jamaica Bay, and the Rockaways beaches. We cannot allow that to happen,” said Comptroller Stringer. “It’s time for the FERC to once and for all reject Williams’ repeated attempts to delay, obfuscate, and resurrect this proposal. Rather than doubling down on dirty fossil fuels that are infrastructure of the past, we should be investing in renewable, cleaner energies of the future.”

State Senator Brad Hoylman said: “We are well past the point in our climate crisis to be investing in fossil fuel infrastructure that will facilitate the production of more greenhouse gases, water pollution, and pose a potential threat to our natural resources and local communities. The Williams NESE pipeline is not just a bad idea, it’s a dangerous one. Building a pipeline that carries fracked gas along our coast is unconscionable. FERC must listen to New York City residents and deny Transco’s extension application. I’m grateful to the Stop Williams Pipeline coalition for their advocacy and their years long efforts to get this project shut down.”

Assembly Member Harvey Epstein said: “I continue to stand opposed to the expansion of the Williams pipeline and will stand with the community to stop any movement on this project.”

Assembly Member Stacey Pheffer-Amato said: “Simply put, the Williams pipeline has no place here. As a member of the Rockaway community and as a member of the NYS Assembly Corporations, Authorities, and Commissions Committee, the re-emergence of this pipeline is unwelcome and unwanted. Thank you to everyone who has spoken out about this, including numerous civic and advocacy organizations and my colleagues in government. We’ve fought this pipeline before, and we will continue to fight as long as it’s necessary to preserve our beautiful and irreplaceable beaches.”

Council Member Costa Constantinides said: “Every gallon or cubic meter of fossil fuel burned pushes us that much closer to climate catastrophe. There is no future for humanity if we keep building oil and gas infrastructure, and the Williams Pipeline presents an unacceptable risk to all New Yorkers. Let’s put an end to this fracked gas nightmare that goes against city and state climate policy and start investing in real sustainable solutions for our city.”

Council Member Brad Lander said: “The need to take bold action to confront the climate crisis couldn’t be clearer or more urgent.”We must move away from harmful practices, like the construction of the NESE pipeline which only increases our reliance on fossil fuels. The City has already rejected this pipeline on every level, including thousands of public comments. This pipe cannot move forward and would not only continue to harm the planet but impact the daily lives marginalized communities that are already disproportional impacted by climate change.”

Council Member Carlina Rivera said: “Despite the Williams Companies’ failure to meet necessary water quality certification requirements set forth by the Department of Environmental Conservation three separate times, they have once again stated their intent to push through this massively damaging project. We’ve made bold climate promises to New Yorkers, and it is our responsibility to go above and beyond to uphold those promises. This pipeline proposal is antithetical to our environmental efforts, and regulatory authorities must one again deny these permits.”

District Leader Lew Simon said: “I’m totally flabbergasted with the fact that Williams is attempting once again to go ahead and present the same project that was denied last May. It is apparent that they have no clue about the reality that fossil fuels are not the future and in the next five years will be worthless.”

To view the joint letter to the FERC calling for the rejection of the Williams Pipeline, see below or click here.

Dear Chairperson Glick and Commissioners of FERC,

We, the undersigned, urge you to deny Transco’s request for a two-year extension to construct and place into service the Williams Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) Pipeline.

We stand behind the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) 2020 denial of the pipeline, which on the clear basis that construction would irreparably threaten the health and safety of New York Harbor, that the project is inconsistent with state climate law, and that the project is entirely is unnecessary when renewable alternatives are taken into account.

The DEC’s denial also noted the massive public opposition to the Williams NESE Pipeline with over 16,000 public comments submitted on the state water quality permit. Thousands of additional comments were submitted against the project in the Public Service Commission (PSC) Case No. 19-G-0678 and hundreds of community members spoke at PSC, DEC and FERC public hearings vehemently opposing the Williams Pipeline.

We urge FERC to listen to those New York City residents who spoke about surviving Superstorm Sandy and fearing the devastating climate impacts this project would have on our frontline communities.

New York City has made its vehement opposition to this project known at every level. The New York City Council passed a resolution against the Williams Pipeline in 2019. 74 elected officials have opposed it, including 11 New York congressional members.

And we’re not just opposing this project; we are enthusiastically supporting the renewable alternatives that could take its place. In PSC Case No. 19-G-0678 New Yorkers overwhelmingly supported meeting future energy needs with energy efficiency, demand response, and electrification.

BIPOC communities across New York City were some of the hardest hit by COVID-19 in part because of health impacts from decades of fossil fuel pollution. We will not allow the racist legacy of environmental and climate injustice to continue by building infrastructure that will increase the amount of polluting fracked gas in our city.

In the nearly two years since the Commission issued a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the project, much has changed. For example, the Commission recently ruled that it was appropriate to consider downstream greenhouse gas emissions when making assessments of proposed projects. In addition, new findings regarding leaked methane and other climate impacts have only added urgency to the need to closely scrutinize proposed infrastructure.

Given the substantial emissions impact that the Williams NESE project would have, these developments alone should render the project’s current certificate obsolete. It now represents an outdated assessment of the project that no longer serves the public interest.

A report from Energy Futures Group1 found that in order for the Williams Pipeline to adhere to state climate law, 95% of its fracked gas would have to remain unburned.

Commissioner Glick, we agree with you that refusing to consider greenhouse gas emissions, especially upstream emissions, while declaring a pipeline to be environmentally safe “fails to give climate change the serious consideration it deserves and that the law demands.”

We take climate change seriously, as we have already lost loved ones here in New York City to climate-fueled superstorms and heat waves that caused death, illness, debt, and scarcity.

For our constituents and for the future generations who will live with the consequences of allowing the Williams Pipeline to be built, we urge you to deny Williams’ request and stop this fracked gas pipeline for good.

###