Courtesy of Williams
A project overview map of the Northeast Supply Enhancement Pipeline.
By Forum Staff
The proposed Northeast Supply Enhancement Pipeline program for the Rockaway Peninsula will not be getting support from State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach), who represents the communities in which the pipeline would be installed, the senator recently announced.
Among Addabbo’s primary concerns are the environmental issues and the impact the NESE pipeline would have in both the construction and post-construction phases. Addabbo advised entities to retreat from pumping climate-changing gasses into the atmosphere, and said that he believes that construction of the pipeline has the potential to disrupt marine life in the area. An additional concern is the presence of toxins that could be released into the water where residents and visitors swim, Addabbo added.
“My first concern is for the people who live in the Rockaways and who have valid concerns regarding the project,” the senator said. “This pipeline would provide no clear, direct benefit to my constituents, and may actually negatively impact their quality of life. After suffering from Superstorm Sandy, with hundreds of people still not back in their homes more than six years later, I cannot support an initiative that may burden them even further.”
Addabbo said he also believes that the $926 million slated to be spent on the project would be much better spent on renewable- and clean-energy initiatives. He pointed to New York’s Clean Energy Standard, which mandates the State receive 50 percent of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030 and a 40-percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the same time frame.
“While I understand that natural gas is a bridge energy source before we fully integrate to cleaner forms, it does not mean we have to spend close to a billion dollars on advancing natural gas projects,” Addabbo said. “It seems to me we are moving backwards instead of moving forward environmentally.”
In 2010, Addabbo was a major opponent of fracking in New York and the process of hydraulic fracturing of gas, which he felt was dangerous and a contributing factor to climate change.
“In the end, after reviewing the many aspects of the NESE Pipeline project, I have determined that the negative impacts, cost and environmental direction outweigh any benefits the pipeline may bring,” the senator noted. “It is because of these reasons that I stand with my constituents in Rockaway in opposing construction of the NESE Pipeline and will continue to work toward addressing the energy needs and efficient practices of our State.”
