Clean Ocean Action, the hard working tax exempt organization that is the leading national and regional voice on protecting waterways through education, citizen action, sciences, law and research, is calling on residents to let the Governor know she can stop any future North East Supply Enhancement (NESE) pipelines in the New Jersey coastal waters simply by denying any water quality certification applications for the work.
Earlier this month, the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled Transco’s Water Quality Certification was unlawful and therefore is now null and void. The court ruled the state DEP’s documents did not adequately explain its conclusions that Transco’s dredging would comply with the state’s water quality standards.
That means Transco must once again apply to the department of Environmental Protection, and the Governor could easily put an end to the pipeline construction Raritan Bay simply by not issuing any further permits. Without the permit, construction of the pipeline in Raritan Bay cannot continue.
Clean Ocean Action urges anyone interested in protecting the waterways to call, email or tag Governor Mickie Sherrill and tell her to deny any future water quality certifications for the NESE Pipeline.
Calls can be made to the Governor’s Office at (609) 292-6000; e-mails can be sent to tinyurl.com/EmailGovSherrill or she can be tagged on social media at Instagram: @govsherrillnj, Facebook: @GovMikieSherrill or X: @GovSherrillNJ
Clean Ocean Action’s goal is “to improve the degraded water quality of the marine waters off the New Jersey/New York coast.”
Transco’s goal is to provide more energy and power by expanding its natural gas pipeline system to deliver an additional 400,000 dekatherms per day. COA’s research and experience shows such an expansion would increase toxins that would pollute fish and shellfish, deteriorate conservation, diving, surfing swimming and other environments.
The group has also raised concerns about the project’s underwater segment, believing that dredging the Bay floor could disturb sediment containing contaminants such as mercury and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls)
Pipelines Pipelines Pipelines Pipelines
On September 8, 2026, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit deemed Transco’s Water Quality Certification unlawful; it now no longer exists.They said the “NJDEP’s decisional documents do not adequately explain its conclusion that Transco’s dredging will comply with New Jersey’s water quality standards.”Transco needs to start all over again by reapplying to the NJDEP. Without a lawful permit, NESE cannot move forward with construction in the pipeline in the Raritan Bay!NESE really is the ‘zombie project’ and Governor Sherrill and her NJDEP can stop it once and for all!In their most recent construction updates for the NESE pipeline, Transco states that they are “working with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to address these issues and re-issue the certificate.”This means it is up to Governor Sherrill to right the previous administrations wrong to STOP NESE once and for all and deny any future the water quality certificate applications. On September 8, 2026, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit deemed Transco’s Water Quality Certification unlawful; it now no longer exists.They said the “NJDEP’s decisional documents do not adequately explain its conclusion that Transco’s dredging will comply with New Jersey’s water quality standards.”Transco needs to start all over again by reapplying to the NJDEP. Without a lawful permit, NESE cannot move forward with construction in the pipeline in the Raritan Bay!NESE really is the ‘zombie project’ and Governor Sherrill and her NJDEP can stop it once and for all!In their most recent construction updates for the NESE pipeline, Transco states that they are “working with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to address these issues and re-issue the certificate.”This means it is up to Governor Sherrill to right the previous administrations wrong to STOP NESE once and for all and deny any future the water quality certificate applications.
