{"id":37702,"date":"2025-11-12T22:40:10","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T22:40:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/37702\/"},"modified":"2025-11-12T22:40:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T22:40:10","slug":"hundreds-protest-gov-hochul-after-controversial-n-y-harbor-pipeline-approved","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/37702\/","title":{"rendered":"Hundreds protest Gov. Hochul after controversial N.Y. Harbor pipeline approved"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"B7FERYHH3FHCFNNOP5M57PNJWM\">STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 Over 200 people gathered in front of Gov. Kathy Hochul\u2019s New York City office on Tuesday to denounce the green lighting of the Northeast Supply Enhancement pipeline. <\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"5J36GPYOFBAW5LVVCOOTKCZJSQ\">The pipeline \u2014 which includes a 17.4-mile underwater segment through the Raritan and Lower New York bays, passing Staten Island\u2019s shores \u2014 succeeded the hurdle that stumped it thrice in the past: the Clean Water Act\u2019s Section 401 Water Quality Certification. <\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"O57ATWXHWBGI7GETMK3DF7ST74\">The Clean Water Act is the basis for federal water regulations, including \u201cthe basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulating quality standards for surface waters,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/laws-regulations\/summary-clean-water-act\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">according to the EPA<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"I7GDAT42GVG2LF3KDQZAQQA7Z4\">From an environmental perspective, the concern is that the pipe would have to be embedded underneath the settled seabed, stirring up decades worth of contaminated sand and other materials that have since laid dormant.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"G77VGPY6DFC6NI7EUJEBXK4JGU\">Energy companies Williams and Transco are the brains behind the pipeline. <\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"HWATLMRJC5BGRHNEBFRIFFTA6M\">\u201cGovernor Hochul has turned her back on New York families to do Donald Trump\u2019s dirty work,\u201d said New York State Director at Food &amp; Water Watch Laura Shindell. \u201cThis pipeline will poison our harbor, drive up energy bills, and keep New York shackled to fossil fuels for decades. Families across the state see this for what it is \u2014 a massive giveaway to corporate polluters at the expense of our kids\u2019 future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"MRALVSGPTNGONKXT5DVYY4HSJA\">Paying for the pipeline will come in the form of a 3.5% boost to National Grid bills across New York City and Long Island, despite several areas not receiving any of the energy that will be generated from it. <\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"QFIECSME6VBSRG7L45C5GIBL4I\">Staten Island is one of those areas that will not benefit from the pipeline. <\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"NTPQQ3UFAZEYJDQMTCOJIVUD2Y\">\u201cGovernor Hochul chose to poison our waterways, raise our utility bills and wreck our kids futures to appease Trump and his fossil fuel billionaires,\u201d Meg Metzger, a parent, Climate Families NYC member and Southern Brooklyn resident, said. \u201cMy family has precious memories from days spent at our city beaches, and the idea that the state would OK a plan that would pollute our harbor with lead and arsenic, while costing working families like mine billions in higher utility bills is outrageous. We can meet energy demand with clean and abundant solar energy, we don\u2019t need or want this pipeline.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Pipeline passage <img fetchpriority=\"low\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Pipeline protest\" class=\"article__image-content\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/KLV6TV6EQJD5ZH7HGJ4OHKWCBU.jpg\"  \/>Hundreds protested Gov. Kathy Hochul after the New York Department of Environmental Protection approved the highly controversial Northeast Supply Enhancement pipeline in early November. (Courtesy of Climate Families NYC)Courtesy of Climate Families NYC<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"U3CBIGQWRBDGVMQHUVIN7E6PG4\">Just hours after the New York\u2019s Department of Environmental Conservation approved section 401, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection approved both section 401 and section 404 of the Clean Water Act. <\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"FLGKWNAJ4ZGU3KILJB3ARGOVKE\">\u201cWe\u2019re proud to move NESE forward and do our part in providing New Yorkers access to clean, reliable and affordable natural gas,\u201d Williams President and CEO Chad Zamarin said in a written statement. \u201cThis project reflects our commitment to deliver clean and reliable energy, while lowering energy costs and supporting economic growth and environmental stewardship.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"YS26IKI3ZVAU7OOEB633GHI4JI\">However, the pipeline was declined by the DEC in 2018, 2019, and 2020 over concerns of negative environment impact. <\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"X4KAWA64ZFDNVDLJRMT6K3VRHI\">In the NESE pipeline\u2019s 2020 failure to pass the standards needed to obtain the certification, the state Department of Environmental Conservation <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.cio.ny.gov\/apps\/mediaContact\/public\/view.cfm?parm=0342AE26-BE81-7A2F-5D15E3CF31CD658D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wrote the following<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"273IUAWNHNEDNHPNAVBD5DJ6WY\">\u201cDEC has determined construction of the NESE pipeline project would not meet New York State\u2019s rigorous water quality standards. Construction of the proposed project would result in significant water quality impacts resulting from the re-suspension of sediments and other contaminants, including mercury and copper, and would disturb sensitive habitats, including shellfish beds and other bottom-dwelling marine life, clearly demonstrating that a default mixing zone is not appropriate for this project. New York is not prepared to sacrifice the state\u2019s water quality for a project that is not only environmentally harmful, but also unnecessary to meet New York\u2019s energy needs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"article__paragraph article__paragraph--left\" id=\"H7WKRB7DMNEYNCHNYOYRWQMQEA\">The pipeline was resurrected by President Donald Trump in his second term. Trump has attacked renewable energy throughout his return to the Oval Office and is helming a push to return to pollution-causing energy means, like gas and coal. <\/p>\n<p>If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.advancelocal.com\/advancelocalUserAgreement\/user-agreement.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.advancelocal.com\/advancelocalUserAgreement\/privacy-policy.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 Over 200 people gathered in front of Gov. Kathy Hochul\u2019s New York City office&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":37703,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":["post-37702","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-staten-island","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-staten-island","tag-staten-island-headlines","tag-staten-island-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37702","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37702"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37702\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}