FERC Status Report Shows Extensive Meetings Between PennEast and Christie DEP

Don’t You Let That Deal Go Down (Listen)

Thanks to Laura Lynch of Sierra Club for calling this information to my attention.

The most recent PennEast September status report to FERC (see this) shows an extensive series of closed door meetings and conference calls with the NJ DEP on a host of issues relating to the environmental review of the project (see table below).

Note that the meeting subjects include “wetlands, waterbodies, transition areas, and riparian zones”

The public needs to get involved with these behind the scenes actions by NJ DEP – particularly the water quality certificate, which can be used to kill the project.

These closed door meetings, commonly referred to as “pre-application meetings”, are where all the technical understandings are reached for how PennEast can secure NJ DEP approvals. These understandings are reached LONG before the draft permits are public noticed. So it is critical the the public be closely involved in this now.

I strongly urge you to file OPRA requests to get these documents and to pressure DEP to deny the permits just as hard as PennEast is pushing for approvals:

[PS – just like FERC, the DEP is NOT your friend. Don’t get co-opted.]