PennEast Pipeline Canceled: Residents and Environmental Organizations Win 7 Year Fight

PHILADELPHIA, PA (Sept 27, 2021)  Today Pipeline Company LLC (PennEast) announced it will end development of its approximately 120-mile long, 36-inch diameter pipeline, which was planned to transport fracked gas from Luzerne County, Pennsylvania to Mercer County, New Jersey.  Residents in both states have been fighting against the pipeline plan for over seven years in an effort to protect their property and the environment. The pipeline would have crossed 88 waterways, including the Delaware River, as well as numerous wetlands, parks, and conservation easements.  In New Jersey, the pipeline would have impacted 42 parcels of state owned conservation lands. In Pennsylvania, it would have plowed through some of the state’s most beloved conservation and recreation areas including Hickory Run State Park, Beltzville Lake, and Weiser State Forest. 

Residents across both states have worked for years to raise awareness within their communities and to advocate to elected officials and regulatory agencies.  Clean Air Council partnered with organizations such as Save Carbon County, Homeowners Against Land Taking (HALT), Delaware Riverkeeper Network, New Jersey Conservation Foundation, PennFuture, and Concerned Citizens Against the Pipeline to support these efforts to preserve our environment, climate,  and communities.

Joseph Otis Minott, Clean Air Council Executive Director and Chief Counsel, issued the following statement:

“PennEast’s cancelation of this unneeded, dangerous fracked gas pipeline is a momentous win for the communities that have fought hard for years to defend their property and the environment.  Others who seek to exploit the residents and natural resources of New Jersey and Pennsylvania should take note:  we are not easy-take states and we will continue to resist.”