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Landowner group asks federal court to check PennEast pipeline approval

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Landowner group asks federal court to check PennEast pipeline approval

A pipeline opposition group asked the U.S. Appeals Court for the D.C. Circuit to review the federal approval of PennEast Pipeline Co. LLC's estimated $1 billion natural gas pipeline project, which will deliver Marcellus Shale supplies to points in eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

In a March 15 petition, Homeowners Against Land Taking-PennEast Inc., or HALT, asked the court to review and vacate the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's certificate order and subsequent tolling order that gave the commission unlimited time to review challenges to the certificate order. FERC approved the pipeline after a 4-1 vote Jan. 19. It issued the tolling order in February.

HALT and another plaintiff filed a complaint in court in 2016 against the project, but in July 2016, the New Jersey Superior Court rejected the attempt to stop surveys and preconstruction work and a nuisance claim against the developer.

Other project opponents, including environmental groups and New Jersey agencies and officials, have asked FERC and federal courts to revisit the project's authorization.

PennEast has said its project was thoroughly vetted by FERC and state agencies after it submitted an application with the federal commission in September 2015. At the start of February, about 75% of landowners along the 120-mile pipeline route had granted survey access to the developer. The project will deliver up to 1 Bcf/d of gas through about 120 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipe.

PennEast is a joint venture of subsidiaries of Enbridge Inc., Southern Co. Inc, New Jersey Resources Corp., South Jersey Industries Inc. and UGI Corp. (FERC docket CP15-558)