Radical NJ Democrats Want to “Constitution” the PennEast Pipeline
Anti-drillers (most of them liberal Democrats) haven’t wasted any time in adopting Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s tactic of delay, deny and death. Antis in New Jersey took notice of how Cuomo first delayed, then denied the Constitution Pipeline stream crossing permits, effectively killing the project (see NY Gov. Cuomo Refuses to Grant Permits for Constitution Pipeline). The leaders of radical Big Green groups in NJ, including the New Jersey Conservation Foundation and the New Jersey Sierra Club, along with several Democrat members of the NJ legislature, want the state Department of Environmental Protection to deny permits for a different pipeline project–the PennEast Pipeline. Hey, if it worked in NY, why wouldn’t it work in NJ? Problem is, NJ has a Republican governor and the DEP is an executive agency. That won’t stop the antis from trying…
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MDN noticed an announcement for the publication of a new dissertation by a student in the masters degree program at the University of Vermont. The title of the student’s dissertation is, “Influence of Mission, Audience, and Policy Context on Issue Framing: A Case Study of Mobilization Against Hydraulic Fracturing in the Marcellus Shale.” When you dig into the abstract (i.e. summary) of the dissertation, it appears the student did research on a number of anti-drilling Big Green groups in the Marcellus/Utica and the techniques they use to manipulate public opinion. Sort of a look at how the Joseph Goebbels of our day do propaganda. We thought, “Hey, this is great! Somebody will finally lay bare how these incestuously-funded Big Green groups lie to and manipulate public opinion!” We tried to download the paper and promptly found that it won’t be available to the public for download until April 2018–two years from now. What’s up with that?…
A group of radical/leftist environmental groups have just launched their latest “sue and settle” case against the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). For a description of the despicable practice of sue and settle, where our own government colludes with these groups in a faux lawsuit which “forces” an agency to do what it wanted to do but couldn’t otherwise under existing laws, see this MDN story: 
It seems that anarchy is all the rage these days. In vogue. Popular. At least among the non-thinking radical left. Witness Crazy Bernie Sanders and his mind-numbed robot followers. Also witness the radical environmental movement, which whips up emotions among the enviro faithful like a Pentecostal preacher from the back hills. Many of these environmental Nazis are young and haven’t grown a brain yet. But there’s a fair number who are old hippies, burned out from drug use in the 60s and 70s. A group of these dangerous fanatics have begun what they call 12 days of “breaking free” from fossil fuels–a campaign to force law-abiding companies to abandon certain pipeline and drilling projects. The radicals are calling it “peaceful” and “civil disobedience.” However, going by previous such protests, we expect there will be violence associated with this movement–far from the peaceful veneer they hope to project. A number of the most radical, law-breaking groups are behind the effort: 350.org, Greenpeace, Climate Action Network and others. Here’s some of the lawbreaking they have planned for 12 days beginning yesterday…
In November, MDN told you about Pilgrim Pipeline Holdings, developing an East Coast pipeline to carry refined petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel, heating oil, and jet and aviation fuel northbound from Linden, New Jersey to Albany, New York (178 miles). In addition, a second Pilgrim pipeline will carry crude oil from Albany south to NJ and other locations. Two pipelines, side by side, liquids flowing through them in different directions (see 
Teresa Heinz-Kerry, affectionately known on MDN as Mamma Teresa, is a well-known anti-fracker. In 2013 Mamma Teresa fired the head of the Heinz Endowments, Bobby Vagt, after he had the temerity to support the Center for Sustainable Shale (see 
In January MDN told you about a $130 million, 30-mile natural gas pipeline proposed by New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG) to connect NJNG’s distribution system serving customers in Ocean, Burlington and Monmouth counties (in NJ) and the interstate pipeline system adjacent to the New Jersey Turnpike. The idea came about after Superstorm Sandy. How can NJNG create reliable natgas service in the region, preventing major disruptions like that which happened after Sandy? The “Southern Reliability Link” pipeline project was the result, and in January the NJ Board of Public Utilities (BPU) approved it 5-0 (see 
How do you prove a negative? You can’t. But that’s the (illegal) demand Penn Township (near Pittsburgh) is placing on Apex Energy. Penn Township’s zoning board has denied Apex permits to begin building a well pad for an eventual nine wells–wells that are fully permitted and permissioned by the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP). The Penn Township ordinance “states that drillers have to prove that the drilling site won’t violate Penn Township citizens’ rights to clean air and water.” Apex provided air and water studies showing possible risks from accidental spills, etc.–along with how they will prevent such things from happening. But the zoning board was tone deaf and rejected it. So what’s next? We’ve seen this movie before. Last year a group of anti-drillers took Apex to court to stop drilling on two wells, with the town backing them. Apex’s lawyers roared that the company was losing $70K per day by not drilling, threatening to sue. The town backed down, and Apex drilled the wells…
You can’t see we didn’t predict this outcome: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has made the political decision to not grant the Constitution Pipeline stream crossing permits, temporarily stopping the project from advancing. Cuomo’s lackeys at the totally humiliated and discredited Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) made the announcement on Friday, so-called Earth Day. Virulent anti-drillers erupted in spontaneous (and multiple) orgasms at the news. The DEC claims Williams, the builder of the Constitution, did not provide detailed information about pipe burial that the DEC had requested. This is a blatant, 100% lie. Gov. Cuomo is corrupt and is being led, as our friend Tom Shepstone points out, by the nose by Rockefeller money. Prosecutor Preet Bharara–are you paying attention? MDN now calls on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to bypass New York State, as is its right under the U.S. Constitution. FERC has the power to bypass Cuomo and the DEC and authorize the pipeline without NY’s stream crossing permits. Yes, hoops will need to be jumped through with various courts, but now is the time to permanently remove NY from such decision-making. The state has proven it is incapable of making independent, science-based decisions on the topic of oil and gas drilling and pipelines. Time to overrule the state and move on. Below we have the DEC’s pathetic political cover-up, along with various responses to the news…
Radical fractivism brooks no dissent. You either agree with them that fracking is evil and from the devil himself, or they WILL attack you–politically, professionally, personally–anyway they can. In other words, fractivists are bullies and not interested in free speech. If you have an opposing viewpoint or try to support your views with science and facts, you’re immediately shut down. That’s how it works with these vicious fossil fuel opponents. We’ve been tracking and telling you about an issue that first began in June 2015. The federal Environmental Protection Agency, after four years of study, concluded that fracking does not contaminate groundwater supplies (see 
PennFuture is a radical, anti-drilling group based in Pennsylvania. The group is the former employer of no less than two current, one former high-level deputies to PA Gov. Tom Wolf. Cindy Dunn was most recently PennFuture’s CEO. She is now the Secretary of the PA Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). John Quigley used to work for PennFuture. He’s now Secretary of the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP). John “legalize marijuana” Hanger was the Secretary of the PA Dept. of Planning and Policy for Wolf. Hanger recently left–the state–to join his wife and daughter in Massachusetts (see 
Yet another anti has crossed the line into terrorism–and no, we don’t use that word lightly. Three surveyors working on the PennEast Pipeline in Holland Township (Hunterdon Township), New Jersey were approached by a man with a rifle. The man asked them if they were there working on the PennEast. When the 3-man crew responded “yes,” the man waved the gun in the air, shouting at them that he would stop the pipeline. It was a clearly a menancing threat to the men who were doing nothing more than a survey. Holland Township Police later arrested Lester Kinney Jr., charging him with “making terroristic threats and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.” The Sierra Club was quick to respond and distance itself from Kinney, making us wonder if Kinney is a member…