NFG Asks FERC for Speedy Re-hearing to Bypass NY DEC re Pipeline

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There’s been an interesting twist in the saga of National Fuel Gas Company’s (NFG) Northern Access Pipeline project. The $455 million project includes building 97 miles of new pipeline along a power line corridor from northwestern Pennsylvania up to Erie County, NY. The project also calls for 3 miles of new pipeline further up, in Niagara County, along with a new compressor station in the Town of Pendleton. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) granted final approval for the project in February of this year (see NFG’s Northern Access Pipe in NY/PA Gets FERC Approval). Shortly after, NFG filed a request with FERC (in March) to bypass the New York Cuomo-corrupted Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) because the DEC was dragging its feet on a decision to grant stream crossing permits for the project (see Gutsy: NFG Asks FERC to Cut NY DEC Out of Pipeline Approval). Needless to say, the DEC didn’t like it. In April of this year, the DEC ruled against granting the project stream crossing permits, effectively killing it, at least for now (see Cuomo’s Corrupt NY DEC Blocks NFG Northern Access Pipeline Permit). After DEC’s denial, NFG sued the DEC in the Second Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals to overturn their denial (see NFG Sues NY DEC in Fed Court re Northern Access Pipe Rejection). OK, now is where it gets interesting. A similar court case was filed by the Constitution Pipeline against the DEC with the 2nd Circuit. The court ruled against the Constitution and for the DEC on August 18 (see Court Rejects Constitution Pipe’s Case Against NY DEC; Now What?). We’re sure NFG can see the writing on the wall for their lawsuit. So NFG has gone back to FERC and their request filed back in March that FERC bypass the DEC and go ahead and grant permission anyway. NFG made a motion for an “expedited request” by FERC last week. What if FERC agrees and overrules the DEC? And what if they don’t?…

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