Constitution Pipeline Rejected in New York

Photo by Erik McGregor

On April 22, 2016, Governor Andrew Cuomo sent a clear message by rejecting the Constitution Pipeline: New Yorkers’ health and safety will not be sacrificed for fossil fuel industry profits. With this decision, he protected the people of New York and took an important step toward embracing a true renewable energy future.

This Constitution Pipeline would have run from the fracking fields of Pennsylvania into New York’s Southern Tier and on to the Capitol Region. It would intersect 277 known bodies of water. As with other oil and gas pipelines, a devastating leak could contaminate New York’s clean drinking water, one of the state’s most precious resources – and such leaks are almost inevitable given the lax oversight of the project. The same powerful grassroots movement that successfully achieved a statewide ban on fracking urged Governor Cuomo to reject fracking infrastructure, and under their pressure, he listened.

After moving to ban fracking in New York in 2014, Cuomo’s decision about this pipeline only makes sense. Rejecting dangerous, polluting fracked gas infrastructure sets a bold example for all public officials in America: environmental leaders don’t frack, and they don’t tolerate new fracking infrastructure either.

This is a big victory for the people of New York, but Food & Water Watch won’t stop until fracking is banned everywhere. You can help: take action to ban fracking and keep fossil fuels in the ground.