ALBANY, NY — “The Business Council is incredibly disappointed with the state’s decision to change the rules and impede construction of a critically needed natural gas pipeline. Strict environmental regulation and adherence to high standards are not the adversary of good businesses. However, uncertainty and bad science are harmful to business, labor, governments and society. The recent determination by the Department of Environmental Conservations (“Department”) that the National Fuel Gas Northern Access Project will impermissibly affect the quality of waters in the state represents a significant departure from current Department standards. National Fuel has taken numerous steps to reduce the impacts of the pipeline, including co-locating in New York 78 percent of the proposed 71-mile mainline pipeline with existing rights-of-way. National Fuel has also submitted numerous detailed studies that show any impacts on New York’s waterways would be temporary and minor and are consistent with or exceed current standards. Of the 192 crossings classified as streams by the DEC, only 60 are perennial waterways and only a dozen or so are considered high-grade streams which sustain trout and other aquatic life. The Department’s decision to establish new criteria to review this project will jeopardize the Northern Access Project, and any other infrastructure projects in the state which happen to cross streams or wetlands. This project would benefit the entire upstate New York economy, and provide critically needed natural gas. The project would also bring abundant employment opportunities and tax revenues to the areas where the project is proposed to be constructed and operated.”
Darren Suarez, director of government affairs, The Business Council of New York State, Inc.