PennEast gets water quality approval

Received on 10 February, the notification certified that “the construction, operation and maintenance of the project will not violate applicable State water quality standards.”

Water Quality Certifications are required as a prerequisite to receiving a federal license or permit for activities involving waterways. The 401 Water Quality Certification comes approximately two months before the issuance of FERC’s final Environmental Impact Statement on the PennEast project, which is expected on 7 April.

This permit approval follows the July 2016 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) decision that the PennEast pipeline can be constructed with minimal impacts on the environment.

Pat Kornick, a spokesperson for PennEast, stated: “Pennsylvania’s Water Quality Certification is a significant step in the regulatory review of the PennEast pipeline project, which continues to progress through a comprehensive, multi-agency review process led by FERC.”

“The Department’s year-long review and conclusion provides additional assurance that PennEast can protect the environment, specifically water resources, while delivering much-needed affordable, abundant and reliable energy that will reduce electric and gas bills across the region for decades,” Kornick added.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/project-news/15022017/penneast-gets-water-quality-approval/