Two New Jersey towns have sued in federal court, seeking to overturn a decision by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve Williams’ Transco Garden State Expansion pipeline project. MDN brought you the happy news in April 2016 that three Obama-appointed FERC commissioners had approved the $116 million project (see FERC Approves NJ Pipeline – More Marcellus Gas on the Way!). The project was created to address supply disruptions following Superstorm Sandy in 2012. By upgrading compressor stations and adding a new meter station, the Garden State Expansion project will supply an extra 180 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) of natural gas to “a new delivery point on Transco’s existing Trenton Woodbury Lateral pipeline” (see NGI’s Shale Daily). Two towns in Burlington County (Bordentown and Chesterfield) where some of the work would be done for Phase 2 of the project filed a lawsuit asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit to overturn FERC’s previous decision to allow the project. FERC has just responded (copy below) arguing they carefully considered the project, crossing all “T”s and dotting all “I”s before they authorized the project. Phase 1 of the project will likely go online next week. Phase 2 is due to be online by next summer, provided the 3rd Circuit doesn’t screw it up…
