It’s Not Sexy and It’s a Killer – the Natural Gas Pipeline Problem in NY State

Project Maple, originally called the Algonquin Incremental Market (AIM) Project – a pipeline built by Spectra Energy  and now purchased by Enbridge in Canada. The Constitution Pipeline, owned by the Williams Company and now being promoted by Governor Hochul. The Williams-NESE (North East Supply Enhancement) Pipeline owned by Transco, a subsidiary of the Williams Company wants to expand capacity at the Rockaway Transfer Point three miles offshore of the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens. These are the three big pipelines and companies many people want stopped.

All of these pipelines have compressor and pigging stations, built to push more gas through at higher pressure, which expels CO2, which leaks methane, particulate matter (PM) 2.5 and other noxious chemicals and can explode – causing fires.

One of the most egregious pipelines is the Enbridge pipeline, also known as the AIM also known as Project Maple. Back in 2014, the Rockland County Legislature wrote a resolution opposing this pipeline. This pipeline flows gas from Pennsylvania, through New Jersey, then through Rockland County (Ramapo and Stony Point), then goes under the Hudson River and lands at Indian Point Nuclear Power facility in Westchester County, NY. It continues through Connecticut, Rhode Island and into Massachusetts where it connects with Enbridge Maritimes and Northeast Pipeline bringing gas from Atlantic Canada through New Brunswick and Maine into Massachusetts for a grand total of 1,100 miles of pipeline.

Although Indian Point is being decommissioned by Holtec International LLC as of 2021, a Risk Assessment study ordered by then Governor Cuomo in 2016 and released in June of 2018 noted significant risks with this pipeline, including a high pressure 42 inch gas line, and stated that the pipeline should be shut down during decommissioning. It never was. Now, high level radioactive spent fuel rods are in shoddy thin-walled canisters built by Holtec which are then stored in cement casks. The rods stand like bowling pins, vulnerable to events such as terrorism, extreme weather, or potential fire if the high pressure gas line has a major leak or ruptures. Enbridge wants to expand capacity and their compressor stations, which will emit even more particulate matter and toxic chemicals into our area.

This year, 2025 – eleven years later, Legislator Beth Davidson as sponsor and Legislator Dana Stilley as a co-sponsor, a new resolution was written against the expansion of this pipeline, which the RC legislature passed unanimously. We are the first County in NY State to do such a resolution. Other municipalities are making resolutions. These are sent to all NY State agencies as well as to the Governor.

Governor Hochul seems to be compromised in that she was willing to trade passing Congestion Pricing for NYC (to lower emissions and pollution) with re-booting the Constitution Pipeline (which would raise emissions and pollution), a pipeline that was denied water permits by the NY State Department of Conservation (DEC) five years ago. President Trump basically said that he would “allow congestion pricing and maybe wind power if she would ok the Constitution pipeline.” Hochul’s administration has signaled support for NESE through the Public Service Commission. The pipeline still awaits approval from the NY State DEC which reports to the Governor. She has also stated that she is “working with the President to fast track building nuclear power – that there are too many regulations.” At this time however, the Governor has stated that there will not be any nuclear power in any form at Indian Point.

There have been massive protests against natural gas pipelines. Emissions – including from leakage, blow-downs and venting create some of the most dangerous air pollution that exacerbates heart diseases, lung diseases, presents dangers to pregnant women, potential developmental disabilities to fetuses and children and harm to vulnerable elders – including mental health changes. We know that many people, especially from disadvantaged communities bear the brunt. I have even heard recently about children having COPD – a condition that usually affects older people. I wonder.

Governor Hochul has a legal mandate to fulfill the goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which Governor Cuomo signed into law in 2019. This was designed to “get us off of gas”, reducing greenhouse gases with the focus on renewable energies – solar, wind, geothermal and geothermal networks, batteries and battery storage, transmission and distribution, by 2030-2040. She needs to follow the law.

Please call Governor Hochul at 1-518-474-8390 and tell her no more gas pipelines in NY State. No to Project Maple, the Constitution Pipeline, the Williams-NESE Pipeline– and while you are at it – no to nuclear power facilities in NY State – there is nowhere to store the waste!

View the resolution here.