Yesterday afternoon the D.C Court of Appeals threw out a federal approval of the proposed Transco natural gas pipeline, a company that handles more than 15% of the Nation’s natural gas. The unanimous decision remanded the approval back to FERC, the federal regulatory agency granting the permit for a reassessment of its permit.
The proposed pipeline had been opposed by environmental groups and state agencies. The pipeline owned by Williams Companies, proposed to bring natural gas from Texas through the Deep South into Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
The proposed pipeline would cost ratepayers (that’s you and me) a lot in addition to harming the environment, not to mention running counter to our desire to reduce reliance on greenhouse gases. Pipelines also have serious leaks; between 2019 and 2023, pipeline accidents released over 9.7 billion cubic feet of gas into the atmosphere, with cleanup efforts being only partially successful.
Prayer for the Day
Silently, the flowers bloom in the Pinelands,
As deer raise their heads from drinking clear water;
Only the rustle of the wind calls us to listen,
As your voice comes through the trees.
Thankful for the beauty we see, we praise you, O God,
And resolve that your creation will endure.
In the name of the One who touches the earth,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
Climate change is here and it is harming all of us. Americans across the nation are suffering from the intense heat waves, extreme storms and flooding, and increased wildfires caused by climate pollution.
Vickie Patton, Environmental Defense Fund General Counsel
These broad-brush statements do not provide assurance that the Commission balanced the climate-related emissions to which the Commission refused to assign a significance label.
From decision in New Jersey Conservation Foundation v. Petitioners [for permit]
Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people;
From those who are deceitful an unjust, deliver me!
For you are the God in whom I take refuge.
Psalm 43 1-2