New York City has been spared from the devastating effects of a 23-mile-long natural gas pipeline project that would have perpetuated the region's reliance on dirty energy.
As Fast Company reported, environmentalists fought for eight years against the project, which would have transported natural gas under two bays and through New Jersey and New York.
If approved, the pipeline would have burned dirty energy, contributing to rising global temperatures and extreme weather events. It would have also decreased air and water quality in the region, putting the health and safety of Tri-State Area residents at risk.
Cindy Zipf, the executive director of Clean Ocean Action, referred to this decision as "an extraordinary victory, a David and Goliath moment."
Williams Companies, a Tulsa, Oklahoma-based energy company, has discontinued its Northeast Supply Enhancement project plans and is no longer pursuing approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
This is a huge win for New York and the planet, yet there is still much work to be done to fight dirty energy and stop pollution-producing energy companies from expanding their operations.
Meanwhile, another plan is moving forward to transport liquefied natural gas by tanker truck from Pennsylvania to New Jersey.
A Sierra Club campaign director, Patrick Grenter, said, "The last thing we need is even more dangerous methane gas extracted from Pennsylvania, shipped through our communities by truck, and exported overseas. This decision is unnecessary and reckless."
Natural gas pipelines and transport are problematic because of their potential leaks of methane gas, which traps heat in the atmosphere, contributes to our planet's overheating, and creates public health risks. Dirty energy power plants also release substantial pollution into the air, which energy companies notoriously dodge responsibility for and fail to remedy responsibly.
Yet it's crucial to also focus on the successes and be encouraged by the valiant efforts of environmentalists who prioritize the planet over corporate profits.
Clean Ocean Action's Cindy Zipf shared that uplifting energy when she explained how the New York pipeline project had "gasped its last gassy breath."
"It means the project has died, and we won!" she exclaimed.
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