Giving its typical rubber stamp, President Obama’s FERC approved the proposed Constitution Pipeline almost ten months ago, but Governor Cuomo’s DEC can stop it by denying the 401 water quality certificate.
Because of all of your efforts, the 401 water quality certificate was not issued in July. Now the pipeline company says it will be issued in August. We cannot let this happen!
Call Governor Cuomo and ask him to deny the 401 water quality certificate for the Constitution Pipeline. Tell him:
- The Constitution Pipeline endangers 277 streams and important water supplies. The state has the right and an obligation to protect these water resources, which means denying the 401 water quality certificate for the Constitution Pipeline.
- We cannot allow a corporation to cut down 700,000 mature trees, just so Cabot can sell its gas for more money in Canada.
- We cannot allow one pipeline to be built, just so another one – the Northeast Energy Direct (NED) – can be constructed 50-feet away a couple of years later.
- We cannot allow a corporation to steal people’s land through eminent domain, just so they can export their gas overseas at a premium price.
The people who live along the proposed route have experienced the devastation of 100-year storms that now happen every couple of years. These floods cost NYS billions of dollars in damages. There will be no way to stop the devastating flood waters from raging down the mountain sides if this company is allowed to start construction.
The pipeline company wants to tear through pristine forests, wetlands and trout streams, but that will violate New York State’s strict water quality standards.
NYS DEC must know that laws will be broken, as they witnessed the catastrophic impacts from the construction of the Iroquois and Millennium pipelines over the past twenty years. With the extreme storms associated with climate change, the construction of this one could be much worse.
NYS DEC has the authority to deny the 401 water quality certificate. Connecticut said no to a pipeline ten years ago, and its denial was upheld by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
It’s time for the Department of Environmental Conservation to uphold its mission as the steward of our great state.
Do the right thing. Deny the 401 water quality certificate.
Call Governor Cuomo today at 1-877-235-6537 and tell him to Stop the Constitution Pipeline!
