Edison Adopts Resolution Opposing Williams Transco’s Gas Pipeline Project

EDISON, NJ — The Edison Town Council recently adopted a resolution opposing the Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) Project.

The NESE is a major gas pipeline project by Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company LLC (Transco) that would transport natural gas from Pennsylvania through New Jersey, traveling underwater in the Raritan Bay and Lower New York Bay to approximately three miles offshore of the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens Borough.

Transco is proposing to construct a 32,000 hp compressor station to accelerate flow through its existing pipeline, constructed in the 1950s, from Pennsylvania through many towns in New Jersey including Old Bridge, Sayreville, and Franklin Township in Middlesex and Somerset counties, to reach its destination in Queens, New York.

According to Edison officials, Williams Transco will be by clearing 15 acres of forest to construct a new right-of-way access to the site, as well as the proposed compressor station, comprising six buildings on a six-acre site.

“The construction and operation of the proposed compressor station will release toxins to the air, ground water and nearby streams, as well as noise above and beyond accepted regulatory levels, all of which will impact the quality of life of local residents, children attending schools, businesses, places of worship, farmers and their farms which produce crops for local and regional consumption, and area and migratory wildlife for many years,” the resolution said.

“The compressor would be subject to regular 'blowdowns' releasing methane and methyl mercaptan into the surrounding atmosphere, as well as constant high temperature exhaust containing carbon monoxide and formaldehyde.”

In the past, Williams Transco has faced numerous safety violations, including fines and civil penalties from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).

Councilman Richard Brescher highlighted the bipartisan support for opposing the pipeline from various New Jersey towns, including those with mixed political affiliations, and emphasized the environmental concerns, particularly the contamination of rivers and waterways.

“This isn’t a partisan issue, and it's nice to see that we're here and we're working together. Some people might not understand or might not know why you might want to oppose this. But I'll tell you this, New Jersey has been contaminated for years. Our rivers have been contaminated. It gets into our waterways, into the fish that we eat, the shellfish that you eat,” Brescher said.

“I think it's good to see that it's a bipartisan issue overall, with other towns, and I'm glad to see that we put this here on our agenda.”

On May 15, 2020, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation denied the application, effectively blocking construction on the project. At the same time, the NJDEP released a statement saying the NESE Project does not comply with the Freshwater Wetland Protection Act, and denied the project required certificates.

However, they received a two-year extension from FERC in 2021.

In May, they petitioned FERC for “Expedited Reissuance of Certification Authority Northeast Supply Enhancement Project.”

But they have made no changes to the project and failed to update cost estimates, the resolution said.

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