The 2014 Environmental Impact Statement issued for the proposed Constitution Pipeline should be revised to reflect new information since it was first published, given its likely significant environmental and socioeconomic impacts, the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis said on Monday.
IEEFA's comments came in response to the environmental analysis of the project issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
"Significant changes to market conditions have occurred in the 12 years since FERC issued the original EIS, and IEEFA urges that FERC analyze alternatives to the project in light of these changed circumstances, and also consider the long-term impacts of locking in fossil fuel as an energy source," IEEFA said.
The project proposes construction of about 125 miles of 30-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline, along with access roads and other facilities, across Susquehanna County in Pennsylvania and Broome, Chenango, Delaware and Schoharie counties in New York to deliver up to 650,000 dekatherms per day to the Tennessee Gas Pipeline and Iroquois systems at the existing Wright Compressor Station, IEEFA said.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation expects it to impact more than 300 streams, over 80 acres of freshwater wetlands, and about 500 acres of forest area surrounding streams and wetlands, it said.