New York's economy stands to gain from a recent federal decision regarding the state's Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) handling of a water quality certification request related to a proposed natural gas pipeline project, an American Petroleum Institute release said.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) said NYDEC recently waived its authority to handle a request regarding a pipeline project due to its failure to respond “in a timely manner” in accordance with the Clean Water Act, the release said.
Millennium Pipeline Company asked for a review after NYDEC delayed processing its application for water quality certification for its Valley Lateral Project. While FERC oversees such projects, NYDEC is required to certify prior to construction to ensure no state water quality standard violations.
“New pipelines are among the safest forms of energy transportation,” API Executive Director Karen Moreau said in the release. “The increased use of natural gas in places like New York City has led to the cleanest air in decades and there’s even more potential for more positive impacts across the state. None of these tremendous benefits can happen without certainty in the permitting process.”
Over 4.4 million households, 398,000 commercial businesses and 6,000 industrial entities utilize natural gas, API said. Moreover, the natural gas sector creates and maintains 152,300 jobs in New York and has added over $20 billion to the state’s economy, according to consulting and technology services firm ICF International of Fairfax, Virginia.
“New York is one of the largest consumers of natural gas in the country, and the decision by FERC allowing the Valley Lateral pipeline project to move forward in the permitting process is a win for all who care about affordable energy, jobs and the environment,” Moreau said in the release. “This state of the art new pipeline will provide clean burning natural gas to a newly constructed power plant in an area which greatly needs natural gas.”
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