For Immediate Release
Contact: Jeff Tittel, NJ Sierra Club, 609-558-9100
The NJ Department of Environmental Protection have reviewed the strategy for New Jersey Natural Gas’s Southern Reliability Link Pipeline involving updated designs and strategies for the remaining HDD crossings on the pipeline. These include drilling on Chesterfield-Arneytown Road, Old York Road Traffic Circle, and a re-drill on Province Line Road. The department believes NJNG adequately addressed the cause of the IRs so we will be reinstating the permit today. This letter is in response to ongoing discussions between the Department and New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG) in response to the Department’s suspension of a Freshwater Wetlands General Permit #2 and notice of non-compliance with a Flood Hazard Area Permit-by-Rule #36 on July 8, 2020. The Department acknowledges that the information was also submitted to satisfy the requirements of the two Notices of Violation (NOVs) issued by the Department on June 25, 2020.
“The DEP has sided with the gas companies over the people in Burlington County. They are reinstating NJNG’s permits without real concern for public health and safety. This one of the saddest chapters in the history of DEP. Instead of holding the company accountable for causing a catastrophe, they have reinstated NJNG’s permits for more HDD drilling. This is downright reckless. The changes on design and operation for SRL construction were minor, however that’s not the problem. The issue is HDD drilling that creates leaks, blowouts, and caused as many as 19 incidents along the route. How do you prevent damage after the history of HDD just from this one pipeline,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “We are outraged that the DEP is restoring these permits. Especially when they wouldn’t even let us comment on it or have input on the matter. DEP deliberately did not give us a chance to review or comment on their decision ahead of time. They were afraid that we might have challenged it. All the department cares about is restoring the permits to NJNG instead of restoring the environmental damage by NJNG, now and in the future.”
CCI & Associates, Inc. (CCI) has been retained by New Jersey Natural Gas Company (NJNG) to review the existing HDD design drawings and provide updated designs for the remaining HDD crossings on the Southern Reliability Link (SRL) project. The updated designs and strategies are for the remaining HDD crossings (HDD 01, HDD 02, HDD 26, HDD 04, HDD 05).
“By reinstating these permits, they are permitting more disasters. There will be more spills, more leaks, and more incidental returns. DEP won’t even give us a stay or pull the permits. They didn’t even consult with the people living along the SRL route. Incidental return has no meaning in the law or under the Clean Water Act. The CWA does not recognize what an IR is. This is an illegal discharge into groundwater, streams, and wetlands that is in violation of the Clean Water Act under New Jersey and cannot be permitted,” said Tittel. “How can DEP allow a process where its known to have unauthorized or illegal discharge. The whole rule for HDD should be scrapped. Instead DEP is using the people living along the route as test subjects for a procedure that will cause problems. We cannot let NJNG continue to cause any more mayhem, especially since they have 6 more HDD’s to go.”
There have been reports along the SRL pipeline route in Monmouth, Ocean, and Burlington county about problems with the building of the pipeline.
“Despite our lawsuit with NJNG, DEP won’t even give us a stay. NJNG will continue its destruction of HDD along its route in Burlington County unless Governor Murphy steps in. The Murphy Administration need to pull these permits and suspend the rule for Hazardous Destructive Drilling (HDD). We believe there are now 9 incidences of suspected problems, if not more, in different areas of the pipeline that need to be investigated. That is why the DEP needs to issue a stop work order on the entire pipeline to stop digging and drilling until these issues are addressed, “said Tittel. “NJNG say they care about the environment and are doing the right thing but they have caused serious accidents and discharge up and down the pipeline.”
These include spills, potential sinkholes, and materials from drilling in streams and ditches. Barbara Fox Cooper, a resident of Upper Freehold and founding member of People Over Pipelines, has been fighting this pipeline since the start. Her home is just feet away from the pipeline route. Last week she had to run out of her house because NJNG caused a blowout while drilling for SRL and cracked the foundation of her home. In New Egypt on Fisher and West Colliers Mill, a pipe collapsed causing a sinkhole near the SRL construction area. Roads will be closed for several weeks for repair. This incident is similar to what happened on the Delaware with Tenneco Gas.
“There have already been several serious incidents involving the pipeline construction in Upper Freehold, Burlington County, and in Plumsted Township. In January there was a blowout at the Joint Base, last month in Ocean County, drilling caused a sinkhole in New Egypt and subpar road repair damaged a water drainage pipe. When NJNG is drilling, they put their equipment in areas that are regulated. When they drill under wetlands and streams, they are altering the geology and causing serious damage. People have been hurt, their properties have been damaged, streams have been polluted and people living along the route are frightened that they’re next,” said Tittel.
New reports show that the five SRL incidents occurred within the Pinelands portion of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. The first incident reported on January 31, 2019 discharged 444 gallons into adjacent wetlands. On February 4, 2019 about 80 gallons of slurry were discharged into wetlands. On February 7, 2019 two separate IRs yielded about 490 gallons that were discharged. On February 8, 2019 about 100 gallons were discharged at the same station. There have been reports along the SRL pipeline route in Monmouth, Ocean, and Burlington county about problems with the building of the pipeline. These include suspected spills, sinkholes, and materials from drilling in streams and ditches.
“New Jersey needs to suspend rules on HDD permits across the state until the DEP has a better understanding of the impacts it has on the environment. We also need to change the way companies drill for pipelines and prohibit HDD. The DEP needs to get rid of NJNG’s general permit that allows them to drill. We need to be vigilant and on top of what is going on during the SRL construction, especially after technicians for Mariner East had falsified test results for their pipeline in Pennsylvania. The state also needs a stricter 401 process that involves an independent review of water quality,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “The SRL pipeline is completely unneeded and unnecessary and will cause a disaster. Since DEP has failed to hold NJNG accountable, Governor Murphy must step up and put a moratorium on fossil fuels. He needs to stop this pipeline otherwise he is just full of hot air.”