Environmental Impacts and the PennEast Pipeline

The PennEast pipeline is a proposed natural gas pipeline that would run from Luzerne County in Pennsylvania to Mercer County in New Jersey. The route would cut through forests, farmland, wetlands and streams, destroying wildlife habitat and fragmenting open space in its path.

To install the pipeline, PennEast would clear vegetation, build access roads and cross hundreds of wetlands and waterways, drilling under sensitive areas. The construction would cause erosion, sedimentation and the risk of contaminating drinking water supplies, while the project itself locks us into more fossil fuel infrastructure and the greenhouse gas emissions it brings.

Opponents argue that the pipeline is unnecessary given existing capacity and that our region should prioritize renewable energy, energy efficiency and conservation. They urge regulators to deny permits and protect communities and natural resources from this industrial development.