Transco

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    Lancaster Sisters of the Corn Lose Bid to Stop Atlantic Coast Pipe

    The Sisters of the Corn have lost their battle to prevent the Williams Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline from crossing their cornfield. Last month MDN told you about a group of Catholic nuns who, with the help of radical Big Green groups, cleared a portion of a corn field they own (local farmer uses for planting corn), plopped a couple of wooden park benches and portable flower trestle in the middle of the corn field, and declared the spot a “chapel” (see Catholic Nuns Use Radicals to Build Chapel in Path of PA Pipeline). It’s a joke. But they weren’t laughing. They really thought that (a) if they refused to sign an easement granting a right-of-way to Williams, and (b) if they stuck a couple of park benches in a corn field, a judge would stop the pipeline from passing through–at least on their land. They were wrong. The Sisters of the Corn (as we call them, the actual name is The Adorers of the Blood of Christ) were one of five holdout property owners who would not sign easements. Last week a judge granted the easements anyway. Atlantic Sunrise now has 100% of the land they need to build the pipeline. Oh! The interesting thing about the Sisters of the Corn? The Sisters use natural gas to heat a retirement community they operate on the very same property where they don’t want a natural gas pipeline…
    Read More “Lancaster Sisters of the Corn Lose Bid to Stop Atlantic Coast Pipe”

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    Williams Northeast Supply Enhancement Pipeline Advances in PA

    In March of this year, Williams filed a full, official application for the Northeast Supply Enhancement project (see Williams Files with FERC to Expand Transco Pipeline to NYC, NE). The new project is meant to increase pipeline capacity and flows heading into northeastern markets. In particular, Transco wants to provide more Marcellus natural gas to utility giant National Grid beginning with the 2019-2020 heating season. National Grid operates in New York City, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. There are a number of components to the project, but the key component, the heart of the project, is a new 23-mile pipeline from the shore of New Jersey into (on the bottom of) the Raritan Bay–running parallel to the existing Transco pipeline–before connecting to the Transco offshore. Much of the Raritan Bay pipeline is located in New York territorial waters. In a case of “here we go again,” the New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which has been corrupted and politicized by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, sent a notice to Williams in July (to their Transco subsidiary) to declare the application for a 401 water-crossing permit for the Northeast Supply Enhancement project is deemed “incomplete,” pending certain items (see NY DEC Tells Williams NE Supply Water Permit App is “Incomplete”). However, NY isn’t the only state involved. The project wants to build 10 miles of pipeline, build four roads and build a new compressor station (next to an existing compressor) in Pennsylvania. Even though the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) has been slow in issuing permits for drilling (see today’s story More Pushback on PA Senate Plan to Fix Slow DEP Permit Reviews), the DEP is far less dysfunctional than the NY DEC. The last Saturday the DEP published a notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin that the agency will issue the necessary permits for the project in PA after a public comment period that ends on Sept. 18…
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    PA Gov. Wolf’s Non-Response Response on Atlantic Sunrise Delays

    Over the past year or more MDN editor Jim Willis has signed numerous petitions supporting the Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline project–but it wasn’t until he signed one at a recent Williams event that the got a response from Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf. Atlantic Sunrise is a $3 billion, 198-mile natural gas pipeline project, most of which will get built in northeast Pennsylvania. The project is ready to begin construction, NOW, but still needs a few permits from the state Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP). In an attempt to get the DEP (and Gov. Wolf) moving, Williams co-hosted an event in July to pressure the DEP and Wolf into granting final permits (see Atlantic Sunrise Pipe Rally: ‘Time to Kick Politicians in the Ass’). As guests entered the event, held at the Shadowbrook Golf Course in Wyoming County, PA, they were asked to sign a petition supporting the project. The petitions were delivered to Gov. Wolf and the DEP. Perhaps signing a paper petition, instead of an online/electronic petition, did the trick. MDN received a form letter email response from Gov. Wolf (below). In his response, Gov. Wolf says he supports pipeline development, but that he also supports “strong regulations” to protect people’s health, water, air, blah-biddy blah blah. It is a masterful example of saying nothing at all, while trying to appear you’re saying something. Here’s what we “heard” in Wolf’s response: Screw you–the project will get approved when it gets approved and I don’t care when that is”…
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    Big Green Groups Stage Walkout at PA DEP Atlantic Sunrise Hearing

    Last night the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) held one final public hearing for the Williams Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline project–in Lancaster. As we previously reported, anti-fossil fuel nutters planned to gather prior to the meeting so they could choreograph a “walkout” of the meeting, as a form of protest (see PA DEP to Hold Final Atlantic Sunrise Hearing, Antis Plan Walkout). Indeed that is just what happened. A group of petulant babies got up during the meeting, theatrically put on surgical masks, and walked out. They then held their own meeting outside, to regurgitate the same lies and smears they’ve been spreading for months. Meanwhile, inside the meeting, the adults who remained spoke up about legitimate concerns with the project, which is why the meeting was held in the first place…
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    PA DEP to Hold Final Atlantic Sunrise Hearing, Antis Plan Walkout

    For those of us who have long supported the Williams Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline project, it seems like it has taken FOREVER for the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) to issue final water and air permits for the pipeline. Atlantic Sunrise is a $3 billion, 198-mile natural gas pipeline project, most of which will get built in northeast Pennsylvania. In an attempt to get the DEP moving, Williams co-hosted an event a few weeks ago in Wyoming County to pressure the DEP into granting final permits (see Atlantic Sunrise Pipe Rally: ‘Time to Kick Politicians in the Ass’). Perhaps the event helped. On the very same day as the event, the DEP announced a supplemental 30-day public comment period to begin on July 22. During this time, the DEP will hold one final public hearing–for feedback on an Air Quality Plan Approval for construction activities related to Atlantic Sunrise. That final public hearing will be held on Monday, August 14, in Lancaster. The anti-pipeline group Lancaster Against Pipelines (organized by some of the same people who illegally protested against the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota), are planning a mass temper tantrum at the hearing. They will stage a “walkout” at the meeting. Adults behaving like spoiled rotten children. We’ve come to expect it from them. MDN encourages pro-pipeliners (i.e. adults) to show up in large numbers so that when the 10-15 antis walk out, nobody will even notice…
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    Court Clears Path for Atlantic Sunrise Pipe to Begin Work in PA

    Atlantic Sunrise route – click for larger version

    Williams and their Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline project are just a few properties away from having easements for all of the properties they need in Pennsylvania, thanks to a judge in the U.S. Middle District of PA and his decision yesterday. Judge Matthew Brann gave Transco Pipeline (the pipeline getting extended with the Atlantic Sunrise project) access to seven hold-out properties in Lebanon, Northumberland, Columbia and Luzerne counties. There are still a couple of holdouts left in Lancaster and Columbia counties, cases which are in a different court. Staking of workspace boundaries will begin in 10 days, on August 14th. Construction, things like clearing and grading the right-of-way, will begin in mid-September. Obviously Williams believes the state DEP is about to grant stream crossing permits for the project, which they still need. The good news is that the courts are backing Atlantic Sunrise, and work on the pipeline will begin in days…
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    Lancaster Nuns Sue FERC to Stop Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline

    A group of Catholic nuns who prefer to worship Mother Nature rather than Jesus Christ (the Person they pledged to serve) is suing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for approving the $3 billion, 198-mile Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline project–because it will run through their cornfield. Perhaps the sisters consider themselves Sisters of the Corn? We previously told you about this small group of nuns–who use the same natural gas that will flow through Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline to heat their own property (see Catholic Nuns Use Radicals to Build Chapel in Path of PA Pipeline). The nuns, with the help of radical Big Green groups, plopped a couple of wooden park benches and portable flower trestle in the middle of the same corn field–clearing some of those precious stalks of corn–declaring the spot a “chapel.” What a joke. What if you want to temporarily clear some corn to dig a trench and bury a pipeline? No no no–now THAT crosses the line for the Sisters of the Corn…
    Read More “Lancaster Nuns Sue FERC to Stop Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline”

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    NY DEC Tells Williams NE Supply Water Permit App is “Incomplete”

    In March of this year, Williams filed a full, official application for the Northeast Supply Enhancement project (see Williams Files with FERC to Expand Transco Pipeline to NYC, NE). The new project is meant to increase pipeline capacity and flows heading into northeastern markets. In particular, Transco wants to provide more Marcellus natural gas to utility giant National Grid beginning with the 2019-2020 heating season. National Grid operates in New York City, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. There are a number of components to the project, but the key component, the heart of the project, is a new 23-mile pipeline from the shore of New Jersey into (on the bottom of) the Raritan Bay–running parallel to the existing Transco pipeline–before connecting to the Transco offshore. Just two days ago we told you about an effort in NJ to oppose it (see Battle Heats Up for NJ-NY Raritan Bay NatGas Pipeline). Much of the Raritan Bay pipeline is located in New York territorial waters. In a case of “here we go again,” the New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which has been corrupted and politicized by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, sent a notice to Williams (to their Transco subsidiary) to declare the application for a 401 water-crossing permit for the Northeast Supply Enhancement project is deemed “incomplete,” pending certain items…
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    Battle Heats Up for NJ-NY Raritan Bay NatGas Pipeline

    Click for larger version

    In March of this year, Williams filed a full, official application for the Northeast Supply Enhancement project (see Williams Files with FERC to Expand Transco Pipeline to NYC, NE). The new project is meant to increase pipeline capacity and flows heading into northeastern markets. In particular, Transco wants to provide more Marcellus natural gas to utility giant National Grid beginning with the 2019-2020 heating season. National Grid operates in New York City, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. There are a number of components to the project, but the key component, the heart of the project, is a new 23-mile pipeline from the shore of New Jersey into (on the bottom of) the Raritan Bay–running parallel to the existing Transco pipeline–before connecting to the Transco offshore. The gas flowing through the new pipeline will power an additional 2.3 million homes in the NYC area. Pre-filing for the project was done in May 2016, and the official application, as we said, was filed in March 2017. However, anti-fossil fuel fanatics (like the Sierra Club) have just woken up and are now protesting against the project–because the pipeline will run through the bay…
    Read More “Battle Heats Up for NJ-NY Raritan Bay NatGas Pipeline”

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    Williams Hillabee Project Goes Online, NatGas Flowing to Florida

    We have a correction to a previous story. In June MDN brought you the news that the Sabal Trail Transmission pipeline, a $3.2 billion, 515-mile interstate natural gas pipeline in Florida, Georgia and Alabama, had been placed into service, flowing natural gas to Florida electric generating plants (see Marcellus Gas Hitches a Ride to Florida Power Plant). We indicated in that story that Marcellus and Utica Shale gas, via Williams’ related Hillabee Expansion Project, was flowing to Florida. Not quite yet. In an announcement issued yesterday, Williams said yes indeed, the Hillabee project is now up and running–but for now, it’s flowing gas from the Haynesville Shale and the Midcontinent region. The announcement said that Marcellus/Utica gas would “soon” flow through the Hillabee expansion–just as soon as the Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline gets built in Pennsylvania, which will flow Marcellus gas into a reversed portion of the Transco Pipeline…
    Read More “Williams Hillabee Project Goes Online, NatGas Flowing to Florida”

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    Catholic Nuns Use Radicals to Build Chapel in Path of PA Pipeline

    Here’s a story of some Catholic nuns who have forsaken their vow to serve Christ, and instead have taken up a vow to serve radical environmentalism–which is apparently their new religion. A group of nuns in Lancaster County, PA invited the radical group Lancaster Against Pipelines (whose organizer participated in the illegal blockage of the Dakota Access Pipeline) to build a “prayer chapel” in the middle of a cornfield that belongs to the Adorers of the Blood of Christ (as they are called). The chapel is meant to stand in the way of Williams’ Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline, slated to go through that field. The so-called prayer chapel is little more than a few portable benches and a pop-up shelter like the one you would use when camping–just about big enough to cover a gas grill and leave enough room for two or three people to stand under it. The “prayer chapel” is obviously a statement thing. Knowing it will get torn down at some point, the sisters and their radical friends didn’t want to waste a lot of money on the project. Essentially this is a setup for a photo op when the bulldozers come through. It’s truly a shame to see how those who have dedicated themselves to the work of Jesus Christ have been co-opted and distracted from their far higher, and much better, calling. Unfortunately, the nuns are rank hypocrites. They themselves use–and promote the use of–natural gas for their own ministry on the very same parcel of property…
    Read More “Catholic Nuns Use Radicals to Build Chapel in Path of PA Pipeline”

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    Lancaster Anti-Pipeliners Reach New Low with Fake Graveyard

    Just when you thought you’ve seen how low some anti-pipeline fanatics will go, they surprise you and go even lower. Antis set up a fake graveyard with a half dozen authentic, 19th century tombstones, right next to a pipeline right of way for the Williams Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline in Lancaster County, PA. Williams is hypersensitive to ensure they don’t violate any “Native American” or other kinds of historic sites. So when they came across the fake graveyard, they thought it was real and proceeded as such, spending time and money to plan a route for construction that would protect the fake site. And antis, with full knowledge, lied to Williams’ people (not telling them is the same as lying in our book). And laughed their considerable derrieres off the entire time, wondering when those poor dunderheads at Williams would figure it out. Now Williams may have the last laugh, because what the antis did is fraud and prosecutable. So-called local Native Americans (i.e. Indians) were in on the “joke.” And now those Indian activists have the gall to say if Williams didn’t recognize something as fake, how will they recognize real Indian artifacts that need protecting? We ask a different question: Who will ever believe these so-called Native American activists again–when they are self-professed liars?…
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    Atlantic Sunrise Hearing in Bloomsburg Repeat of Previous Hearings

    As we reported yesterday, the first two (of four) public hearings were held on Monday by the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) to elicit comments on the proposed $3 billion, 198-mile Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline, an expansion of Williams’ Transco Pipeline system (see Atlantic Sunrise Supporters Far Outnumber Antis at PA DEP Hearings). Supporters of the pipeline far outnumbered opponents at both hearings, which has left antis spitting and sputtering: “How did we get outmaneuvered?” The third hearing was held last night, in Bloomsburg, PA (Columbia County). How did it go there? Pretty much a repeat of the meetings on Monday night: supporters far outnumbered opponents of the pipeline. Like the other meetings, a somewhat odd alliance between the local Chamber of Commerce and labor unions provided many of the supporters who attended–to talk about the jobs and enormous positive economic impact of the project…
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    Atlantic Sunrise Supporters Far Outnumber Antis at PA DEP Hearings

    Yesterday saw the first two (of four) public hearings being hosted this week by the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) to elicit comments on the proposed $3 billion, 198-mile Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline, an expansion of Williams’ Transco Pipeline system. One of yesterday’s meetings was held in Lancaster (Lancaster County), and the other in Tunkhannock (Wyoming County). The striking thing about both meetings is that they were not the usual circus freak shows by anti-fossil fuelers we’ve come to expect. Indeed, in both venues, an overwhelming majority of those speaking were there to speak IN FAVOR of the projects. Oh, there were detractors, to be sure. Nonsensical statements made by people like Malinda Clatterbuck, one of the locals in Lancaster who is attempting to turn Lancaster into another North Dakota fiasco. Clatterbuck said “angst over the pipeline has caused premature births, divorces and heart attacks” among people she knows. Complete rubbish. Anyone can say (or do) anything at these hearings. Mark Clatterbuck (Malinda’s husband) also spoke. Mark was a protester in North Dakota against the Dakota Access Pipeline. He warned (threatened?) DEP representatives of a coming “community uprising” against the Atlantic Sunrise pipeline. Even though there was some opposition like the clattering Clatterbucks at last night’s hearings, the big news is that their opposition was drowned out by supporters of the pipeline project. And that’s good news for all Pennsylvanians…
    Read More “Atlantic Sunrise Supporters Far Outnumber Antis at PA DEP Hearings”

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    Reminder: Public Hearings This Week for Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline

    Just a quick reminder that the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection is conducting four public hearings, beginning today and running through Wednesday, for the Williams Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline project. If there is any way you can make it to one of the hearings to show your support for the project, do it! Below is the DEP announcement sharing the locations for the hearings. Today are two hearings, both from 6-9p, one in Tunkhannock and the other in Lancaster. Tomorrow the hearing is in Bloomsburg, and Wednesday in Annville. Come out to support this critical pipeline project…
    Read More “Reminder: Public Hearings This Week for Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline”

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    Rutgers Study Says Williams Pipeline to NYC Econ Boost of $327M

    Transco Northeast Supply Enhancement Project map – click for larger version

    In May 2016, Williams’ Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company (Transco) pre-filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for a project called the Northeast Supply Enhancement project (see Williams Pre-Files with FERC to Expand Transco Pipeline in PA, NY). The new project will increase pipeline capacity and flows heading into northeastern markets. In particular, Transco wants to provide more natural gas to utility giant National Grid beginning with the 2019-2020 heating season. National Grid operates in New York City, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. At the time of pre-filing, Williams ran an open season to lock up commitments for the Northeast Supply Enhancement project (see Williams Announces Open Season for Northeast Supply Enhancement). The open season worked. National Grid committed to all 400,000 dekatherms (400 million cubic feet per day) of extra gas the project will provide. In March 2017, Williams filed a full, official application for the project (see Williams Files with FERC to Expand Transco Pipeline to NYC, NE). No doubt anticipating stiff opposition from lunatic anti-fossil fuelers, Williams commissioned an independent, third party study of the project with Rutgers University. Yesterday the Rutgers researchers released their comprehensive study (full copy below) that finds the Transco Northeast Supply Enhancement project, which will cost $1 billion to build, will generate $327 million in additional economic activity (GDP) in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. In addition, the project will directly and indirectly generate 3,186 jobs during the one-year construction period, resulting in an estimated $234 million in labor income. This is great news for PA, NJ and NY residents…
    Read More “Rutgers Study Says Williams Pipeline to NYC Econ Boost of $327M”