13 Arrested Blocking Highway at Site of Spectra Energy Pipeline

Thirteen people were arrested yesterday for blocking the West Side Highway adjacent to the site where Spectra Energy has completed a natural gas pipeline entering Manhattan, NY from New Jersey.

Thanks to the Environment TV crew for capturing this direct action on video.

According to the Sane Energy Project, the “New Jersey-New York Expansion Project” is a high-pressure gas pipeline, varying in diameter from 42-30″ routed up the New Jersey shoreline, through the edge of Staten Island, under Jersey City and across the Hudson River, entering Manhattan at the Gansevoort Peninsula in the West Village. It is known more commonly by the name of its builder’s parent company, Spectra Energy.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is the lead agency in charge of permitting this project. During the review of the draft Environmental Impact Statements, there were nearly 5,000 public comments filed against the project, and only 22 in favor. FERC has approved the Spectra pipeline and it is currently under construction, despite pending lawsuits from the Sierra Club, Food & Water Watch, City of Jersey City and NoGasPipeline, a NJ advocacy group.

Visit EcoWatch’s PIPELINES page for more related news on this topic.

[source: http://ecowatch.com/2013/11/03/13-arrested-blocking-highway-spectra-energy-pipeline/]