(WOLF) — The Transcontinental Gas and Pipeline Company wants to expand a natural gas pipeline through more than 22 miles of Luzerne County and roughly 14 miles of Monroe County.
The Department of Environmental Protection approved the project but now one group is suing as they make a case to protect local waters and wetlands.
The Department of Environmental Protection has approved permits for Transco's gas pipeline expansion project, an expansion to an already existing pipeline transporting natural gas in Northeast and Southeast Pennsylvania.
PennFuture and the Delaware Riverkeeper Network have filed an appeal in hopes of stopping the fracked gas pipeline from jeopardizing any waters.
“This is an appeal of permits that the State Department of Environmental Protection has issued for the Transco Regional Energy Access Explansion Line,” said Jessica O’Neill, PennFuture’s senior attorney.
In order for Transco to start their project, they need a few permits to cut across streams and wetlands to do their construction.
“We think that they will result in degradation or lowing the water quality of the streams and wetlands that they are cutting across. We think that is unacceptable,”
“The state, the permite, transco, haven’t yet had the opportunity to respond but that’s really what this appeal is about, "said Jessica O’Neill,
The pipeline includes 22.3 miles of pipeline in Luzerne County and 13.8 miles cutting through Monroe County.
“The Department of Environmental Protection has a responsibility as a trustee under Pennsylvania’s green amendments also known as the environmental rights amendments, and as a trustee you cant put on the blinders,” said Kacy Manahan, senior attorney at Delaware riverkeeper network.
“You need to have a comprehensive view of threats that are opposed and look to the future,” said Kacy Manahan
We reached out to the Department of Environmental Protection, they told us, "As a general rule, the PA Department of Environmental Protection does not comment on pending litigation,"
Penn Future claims 114 Exceptional Value wetlands and 77 bodies of water supporting cold water fisheries and numerous streams would be impacted by the pipeline expansion.
This story first appeared on Fox56 on Wednesday, March 15.