The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection denied PennEast Pipeline Co. LLC a freshwater wetlands permit for its 1.1-Bcf/d natural gas pipeline project that would deliver Marcellus Shale gas to East Coast markets.
The Department of Environmental Protection said the denial of the Clean Water Act permit was due to a lack of "significant and necessary information" that would have allowed the agency to determine compliance with wetlands rules.
The agency rejected the permit application, saying the information needed to fully analyze it has been missing since April 6, 2017, when PennEast submitted the permit application. "To date, PennEast has not submitted any further documentation or a complete application," said Virginia Kop'Kash, assistant commissioner for the department's Division of Land Use Management, in a letter to PennEast.
PennEast spokesperson Patricia Kornick said the New Jersey decision was not unexpected. The developer will resubmit its permit application.
After the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the $1.13 billion project in a Jan. 19 certificate order, analysts said the authorization would help developers collect survey data and environmental information for state-controlled permits. The project, which has many of its state and local permits, still needs Clean Water Act permits from New Jersey, and it faces challenges from the state and environmental groups.
Kornick said almost 75% of landowners have granted the developer survey access along the 120-mile route. About one-third of the route is in New Jersey. "Since PennEast Pipeline received federal approval, landowners have contacted PennEast about providing survey permission, and PennEast will continue to work with other landowners in accordance with the FERC order," Kornick said.
The project will consist of a compressor station and a 36-inch-diameter pipeline stretching about 120 miles through parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. PennEast is a joint venture of Enbridge Inc.'s Spectra Energy Partners LP, Southern Co. Inc.'s Southern Gas Co., New Jersey Resources Corp.'s NJR Pipeline Co., South Jersey Industries Inc.'s SJI Midstream and UGI Corp.'s UGI Energy Services LLC. (FERC docket CP15-558)
