For Immediate Release: Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Contact: Allison Meyerhoff, Marketing & Communications
Coordinator
(732) 872-0111
Baymen’s Protective
Association ~ Borough of Union
Beach ~ CHARGE – Consumers Helping Affect
Regulation of Gas & Electric ~ Clean Ocean
Action ~ Highlands Business Partnership
~ NY/NJ Baykeeper ~ Raritan
Riverkeeper ~ Township of Aberdeen
Save the Bay—Don’t Stir the Muck and Poison the Water
Elected officials, Clammers, Fishermen, local
business leaders and environmentalists speak out against a proposed offshore
gas pipeline
§ Aberdeen Mayor Fred Tagliarini
§ Union Beach Mayor Paul Smith and Councilman Anthony
Cavallo
§ Highlands Business Partnership President Jay Cosgrove of
Bahrs Landing
§ Paul Ritter, President Baymen’s Association
§ New York/New Jersey Baykeeper Chief Operating Officer
Meredith DeMarco
§ Raritan Riverkeeper Bill Schultz
§ Clean Ocean Action Executive Director Cindy Zipf and
Policy Attorney Peter Blair
§ Richard Isaacson- President of the Belford Seafood
Cooperative
§ Kin Gee – RAGE/CHARGE
Left to Right: Bill Schultz (Raritan Riverkeeper),
Nicholas Simon (Staff Assistant for Congressman Pallone), Meredith DeMarco
(NY/NJ Baykeeper Chief Operating Officer), Peter Blair (Clean Ocean Action
Policy Attorney), Kin Gee (CHARGE President), Paul Smith (Borough of Union
Beach Mayor), Cindy Zipf (Clean Ocean Action Executive Director), Fred
Tagliarini (Township of Aberdeen Mayor), Anthony Cavallo (Borough of Union
Beach Councilman), Jay Cosgrove (Owner of Bahrs Landing and Marina and
Highlands Business Partnership President), a local clammer, Paul Ritter
(Baymen’s Protective Association President), and a group of local Bayshore
fishermen and clammers
Port Monmouth, NJ – Today,
with the back drop of the bay, clammers, fisherman, elected officials, local
business leaders and environmental organizations stood united to oppose the
Williams Transco’s proposed natural gas pipeline, the Northeast Supply
Enhancement project, simply referred to as the NESE Pipeline. The impacts
from the pipeline on the bay include increased pollution, destruction of
habitat, and harm and contamination to marine life, which will also threaten
the livelihood and economic potentiality of the Bayshore community.
“This project is a lose, lose,
lose for our region which we have worked so hard to improve,” said Cindy
Zipf, Executive Director, Clean Ocean Action. “Our environment,
economy, and greener energy future will be lost – this project must not move
forward, and the Bayshore must be heard,” she added.
The entire project consists of a
37-mile pipeline which would start in Pennsylvania, cut through central New
Jersey and continue offshore through New Jersey and New York state waters until
reaching the Rockaways. The groups were focused on the so called, Raritan
Loop, the 23.5 mile offshore section that slices through the bays and ocean and
will have significant impacts on water quality, marine life, and public
health. Environmentalist’s also claims that this project would negate
years of investment in the cleaning up of these historically polluted
waterways, as well as continue our reliance on climate altering fossil fuels.
The Bayshore community was largely
in the dark, and must be heard. Groups called upon the NJDEP to hold a public
hearing and extend the comment period.
“When you look at some of the facts that you’ve learned
about this proposed pipeline it makes you shiver. Aberdeen is probably one of
the closest beach areas. It is noted for great bass fishing and there is a
great concern to disturb that,” stated Fred Tagliarini, Mayor of the
Township of Aberdeen, before presenting Clean Ocean Action with a signed
resolution from the Aberdeen Township Council that opposes the NESE pipeline.
“We definitely don’t want this monstrosity going through our
waters,” echoed Paul Smith, Mayor of the Borough of Union Beach, who was
accompanied by Councilman Anthony Cavallo.
Improvement of the Bay
The Raritan Bay and Lower New York
Bay have suffered from years of pollution, industry dumping, and
mismanagement. However, stronger environmental laws, investments by the
State and local municipalities and work of numerous non-profits have seen the
water quality significantly improve over the past decade. Meredith
DeMarco, the Chief Operating Officer of New York/ New Jersey Baykeeper stated
that “The potential for harm to our waterways is too great not to
warrant robust discussions with community members and the NJ DEP. Since the initial
application, Williams Transco has made a severely inadequate effort in public
outreach and education. Communities affected the proposed pipeline project have
actively sought engagement with Williams – and their attempts have fallen on
deaf ears.”
“If the state and federal government allow this to continue,
against all our efforts, what I am concerned about is the installation of the
pipeline. Transit in the bay carry 5-12 ton anchors . It will take over a half
mile to stop [a vessel that experiences difficulties]. So there is no doubt
that if it is anywhere near this pipeline, it will hook it,” said Bill
Schultz, Raritan Riverkeeper.
The
installation of the pipeline in the bay will re-suspend over one million tons
of toxic-laden muck that contains chemicals such as arsenic, mercury, lead and
numerous others. “Don’t stir that contaminated muck up.” It will threaten
the fisheries and clamming industries that we have worked to restore,” said
Jay Cosgrove, Owner of Bahrs Landing and Marina in Highlands, and President
of the Highlands Business Partnership.
Also of concern is the discharge
of nearly 700,000 gallons of drilling muds (a cocktail of chemicals) into the
bay and ocean. These chemicals lubricate the drilling process and also
include numerous biocides, some of which Transco has yet to disclose.
Transco also plans of straining 3.5 million gallons of life-rich estuarine
waters that will kill all life by impingement or entanglement as well as from
the use of CORRTREAT-15316 which USEPA states is harmful to human and marine
life and should not be allowed to enter water or soils.
“This could possibly put over 100 families out of business
with the heavy metals that [the pipeline] will stir up,” said Paul Ritter,
President of the Baymen’s Protective Association.
The noise from the construction
will also scatter or otherwise harm fish leading to impacts to fisheries as
well as harm to marine life including endangered whales and turtles.
“What happens when they start the project and everything
starts going bad?” asked Richard Isaacson, President of the
Belford Seafood Co-op. He continued, “Then they shut the whole Bay down and
everyone is out of business. Where will these [fishermen and clammers] work?
How will they make a living? If you don’t start doing something for the
fishermen and clammers, they will all be out of business and gone. Big oil does
not care about the fishermen, believe me.”
Lack of Need/Purpose
The purpose of the project is
allegedly to bring an increased supply of hydro-fracked climate changing
natural gas to National Grid, natural gas energy utility. However,
studies, including a recent report by 350 Brooklyn have proven that the pretext
for this project is simply false – there is currently an ample supply of
natural gas to the area and the forecast of future demand by independent
sources is flat to declining. Moreover, the market data allegedly
supporting the claim has been kept from the public record, because National
Grid claims it contains “confidential commercial information”.
The lack of need has raised
questions about the true purpose of the project. Some critics argue that
it appears that the project could likely lead to an offshore liquefied natural
gas (LNG) export facility for purposes of export natural gas outside of the
United States.
“If approved, [the pipeline] will allow Williams to earn a
very attractive 14% return on the project. In addition, it appears that
the project could likely lead to an offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) export
facility for purposes of export natural gas outside of the United States.
The $1 billion cost for this project should not be borne by ratepayers (i.e.,
utility customers) for a pure commercial undertaking of a for-profit company
operating for the benefit of its management and shareholders,” said Kin Gee,
President of CHARGE (Consumers Helping Affect Regulation of Gas & Electric)
formerly known as RAGE.
Governor Renewable Energy Goals
Both Governor Cuomo of New York and Governor Murphy of New
Jersey have failed to make a public statement on the project. Both
governors are known for their ambitious renewable energy goals. Cuomo
passed New York’s Clean Energy Standard which mandates the state receive 50
percent of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030 and a 40 percent
reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the same time frame. Similarly,
In May of 2018 Governor Murphy signed the New Jersey’s Renewable Energy Bill
that requires the state to achieve 50 percent renewable energy by 2030, and 100
percent by 2050. It is unclear how the natural gas pipeline, which will
pump 400 million cubic feet of climate-altering natural gas, fits within these
goals.
“There is no benefit to the State of New Jersey from this
project. It will resuspend over 1 million tons of toxic sediments
contaminated with lead, arsenic and other chemicals that have been buried for
years of misuse. It will undo years of hardwork by municipalities, county and
state, as well as organizations like Clean Ocean Action and Baykeeper. All of
this is to bring natural gas to New York. No ratepayer in New Jersey will be
able to heat their home with this methane gas,” stated Peter Blair, Policy
Attorney at Clean Ocean Action.
Permits/Public Comment and Hearing
Currently the New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection is reviewing crucial permits for the pipeline. Permits
include, Flood Hazard Area, Coastal Wetland, and Waterfront Development.
However, despite the numerous impacts to not only the Raritan Bay, but the
Bayshore communities, the NJDEP has failed to hold a public hearing on the
Bayshore regarding the coastal and water impacts. For this reason, the
Board of Chosen Freeholders for Monmouth County unanimously approved a
resolution calling on the NJDEP to extend the public comment period for the
Raritan Loop and to conduct a public hearing in the Bayshore. Following
the County’s lead, Keansberg and Union Beach have adopted similar
resolution. Numerous other Bayshore towns are considering similar
resolutions. Aberdeen has pass a resolution opposing the project.
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