State Legislators, Local Officials, Environmentalists Urge Gov. Hochul to Deny Trump’s Dangerous Pipelines

(Binghamton, NY) - Senator Lea Webb, Assemblymember Anna Kelles, local elected officials and environmental and community organizations came together to lay out the dangers posed by the Constitution and other pipelines that President Trump and the gas industry are trying to bully New York State into approving. The elected officials and organizations described the harms posed by the pipelines and the broad opposition to them, and called on Governor Hochul to stand firm behind New York’s authority and water quality and deny the pipelines. There is a growing movement and statewide campaign against the pipelines, including events across the state, videos, public comments, petitions, phone calls to the governor, and more. 

The pipeline company Williams is bringing forward applications for the Constitution and Northeast Energy Supply Enhancement (NESE) pipelines, which the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) previously reviewed and denied in 2016 and 2019 given the threats they posed to the state’s water quality. The renewed projects pose the same dangers, but the company has been emboldened as Trump attempts to bully New York into approving them. 

“As a lifelong resident of the Southern Tier, I know firsthand how vital our clean water, natural resources, and community health are to our way of life," said Senator Lea Webb. "These pipelines threaten everything we hold dear, from our trout streams and family farms to our children’s health and our region’s economic future. We’ve said no before, and I’m standing with my constituents once again to say no to these pipelines. We call on Governor Hochul and the DEC to protect our communities, stand up for New York’s water and climate, and deny these polluting pipelines.”

Assemblymember Donna Lupardo said, “New York needs to stay focused on the transition to a clean, affordable, and reliable energy supply, instead of revisiting these already rejected pipelines. I expect the Department of Environmental Conservation will continue to view these projects as threats to the environment; with water quality concerns at the top of the list. In order for us to have a chance at mitigating climate change, we have to make the necessary investments in clean energy, instead of moving backwards.”

“New Yorkers decided ten years ago that they didn’t want the price of new gas pipelines to be passed on to them, as utility ratepayers,” said Assemblymember Anna Kelles. “There are two proposed pipelines, and the NESE pipeline alone will hike the cost to ratepayers by 3.5%, while destroying the quality of their water.  One of the main industries of Central New York and the Finger Lakes is agritourism, which will be directly negatively affected by these pipelines hurting both small businesses and job stability. It’s clear that the revival of these pipeline projects isn’t about energy affordability but corporate profits on the back of ratepayers. This is not a solution that New Yorkers deserve or can afford. We need long lasting energy, affordability, clean air, and clean water and we can have it all by focusing our resources on homegrown sustainable energy production.” 

Julia Walsh, Director of Frack Action, said, “New Yorkers want clean water, not Trump's dirty pipelines. An overwhelming movement of New Yorkers opposed these pipelines a decade ago, and the state DEC rightly rejected them given the harms they pose to our water quality. We call on Governor Hochul to protect our water and deny Trump's dangerous pipelines.”

Valdi Weiderpass, Chair of Sierra Club Susquehanna Group, a Southern Tier resident, said “New York needs to deny permits for any new gas pipelines and instead rapidly build renewable energy, including solar and wind power.  According to a quote from Lazard’s Levelized Cost of Energy report from June 2025: ‘On an unsubsidized $/MWh basis, renewable energy remains the most cost-competitive form of generation.’  NY must meet CLCPA targets and do its part to help minimize the risk of climate driven severe global famine, that Lloyd’s insurance corporation now assesses at 1% per year, and would amount to 28% chance over 30 years if urgent, adequate climate action is not taken.”

“Governor Hochul must reject these costly, dangerous pipelines,” said Laura Shindell, New York State Director at Food & Water Watch. “The Constitution and NESE projects threaten our water, our communities, and our climate — and they’ve already been denied by the state for good reason. New Yorkers across the state are standing up and demanding that the governor protect our health and environment — not cave to Trump’s dirty, dangerous, expensive fossil fuel agenda.”

Kathleen Nolan, MD, MSL, co-founder of Concerned Health Professionals of NY and President, Physicians for Social Responsibility - New York, said, “Doctors, scientists, and health professionals collaborating in a decade-plus compilation and analysis of studies and reports on pipelines and compressor stations find them to be significant sources of hazardous air pollutants, including the carcinogens benzene and formaldehyde. In New York, environmental agencies have supported communities in rejecting oil and gas pipelines,and  health professionals stand steadfastly against pursuing these projects, which put New Yorkers, especially those in already pollution-burdened communities, in harm’s way. It’s been ten years since the American Medical Association passed a resolution recognizing these health and safety risks, and today New York’s public health community demands that we move forward with a healthy energy policy, not build more harmful fracked gas infrastructure.”

“Let’s be clear: President Trump’s pipelines don’t belong in New York–they’re dirty, dangerous, and old technology. The threats to our water, climate, and communities haven’t changed one bit since these pipelines were originally proposed and then soundly rejected by the state agency tasked with protecting us. Governor Hochul should stand with New Yorkers, not cave to political pressure, and deny these dangerous projects for good,” said Katherine Nadeau, Deputy Executive Director, Policy and Programs at Environmental Advocates NY.

Adam Flint, Director of Clean Energy Programs for Network for a Sustainable Tomorrow (NeST), said, “For more than a decade NeST has worked to help Southern Tier residents get the benefits of clean energy careers, as well as technologies in their homes and businesses. We reject President Trump’s zombie pipeline projects for the same reasons we did when we rejected fracking and the earlier attempts by fossil fuel interests to build these pipelines: they are a threat to our health, safety, economy and planet. Shipping fossil gas abroad and lining the pockets of a declining industry, even as we are paying outrageous rates for power, is not something New Yorkers want.  Governor Hochul will have our support provided that she resists Trump’s playground bully tactics to make us a sacrifice zone for the profit of his cronies.”  

Ravo Root, Citizen Action Lead Organizer for Southern Tier Chapter, said, “Trump and the fossil fuel billionaires are attempting to prop up more dirty and dangerous fracked gas pipelines into New York. Make no mistake, these pipelines are a threat to our water, our climate, and future generations on New York ratepayers’ dime. Governor Hochul must stand up to the climate change-denier in the Oval Office and greedy utilities by staunchly opposing these pipelines.”

Background: 

The Wall Street Journal reported on May 28 that the pipeline company behind the long-denied Constitution Pipeline and Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) pipeline are attempting to revive the projects following Trump-Hochul talks. The White House has claimed that Hochul "caved" on the pipelines after Trump allowed a wind project to continue. Hochul denies that a deal was made, but has not come out in opposition to the pipelines despite the state’s prior review and denial. 

New York State has clear authority to deny the pipelines under section 401 of the federal Clean Water Act. The Constitution pipeline’s planned route in 2016 was approximately 125 miles from Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, to Schoharie County, New York and would have crossed 250 waterways. The pipeline would impact water quality given sedimentation, erosion, dredging, and changes in turbidity, posing harms to sensitive streams, trout, and other habitats. 

The NESE pipeline was planned to run approximately 24 miles underwater in New York Harbor between New Jersey and New York. The DEC denied the pipeline given the harm it posed to water quality, including impacts from stirring up toxic contaminants, causing turbidity, and damage to critical habitats.

There was mass opposition to these pipelines in the past given the dangers they pose, both to water quality and the economy. Impacts to water and the environment endanger agriculture, small businesses, fishing, tourism, and recreation. Additionally, the costs of the pipelines would ultimately be borne by ratepayers. For instance, National Grid estimates that the NESE pipeline would lead to a 3.5% increase in costs for its customers across New York City and Long Island.

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