The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), US, has refused to issue the 401 water quality certification for the proposed Constitution pipeline, saying that it does not comply with the state’s water quality standards.
The 124-mile long pipeline was proposed by energy infrastructure company Williams in partnership with Cabot Oil & Gas, Piedmont Natural Gas, and WGL.
Constitution, the interstate natural gas pipeline, has been proposed to connect the fracking fields of Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, with planned natural gas export infrastructure beginning in Schoharie, New York.
Sierra Club Atlantic said that the proposed pipeline will plow through 277 stream crossings, cutting more than 700,000 trees and destroying more than 90 acres of wetlands.
American Petroleum Institute market development executive director Marty Durbin said that Governor Cuomo’s rejection of the pipeline is a clear example of politics coming before the interests of workers and consumers in the US.
"This decision impacts not only the residents of New York, but also the families and businesses in the surrounding states whose consumers currently pay the highest energy costs in the country."
In response to decision by the DEC denying the company’s permit Constitution Pipeline said: "We remain absolutely committed to building this important energy infrastructure project.
"We are in the process of analysing the stated rationale for the denial. Once that review is complete we will assess our options, which may include an appeal to the US Circuit Court of Appeals."
The pipeline was initially proposed by Williams and its partners in 2012 and has been delayed several times following local opposition and regulatory hurdles.
It was expected to come on stream by late 2015, but due to pending regulatory approvals, construction was put on hold.
