Gov. Cuomo Blocks Williams Pipeline for Third Time

ALBANY, N.Y. – Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today blocked the Williams Pipeline from moving forward. This decision comes after nearly three years of unrelenting grassroots advocacy in opposition to the fossil fuel project, and two previous vetoes of the pipeline by the Cuomo administration. The proposal called for building a new fracked gas pipeline and compressor station linking Middlesex County in New Jersey, to the Rockaways in New York City – and threatened to pollute some of the region’s most vital waterbodies and perpetuate our dependence on fossil fuels.

A statement follows from Kimberly Ong, Senior Attorney at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):

“New York's decision to protect water quality and reject the Williams pipeline marks a watershed moment in the state's legacy of unmatched environmental leadership. It demonstrates that we can and must quit our unhealthy addiction to fossil fuels and grow the clean energy industries of the future. 

“Now more than ever, we need to be laser-focused on building stronger and healthier communities and abandon systems that no longer serve us. Rejecting this pipeline will not only prevent more damage, but will also move us toward a cleaner, more just world for all New Yorkers.”

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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org