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Loading...Chevron Sides With Environmentalists Over Proposed New Jersey Pipeline
Chevron, one of the world’s largest oil companies, is actually on the same side as environmentalists when it comes to the proposed route of a 16 mile long pipeline which would run from New Jersey to Manhattan. The pipeline would carry gas drilled through hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking. The pipeline, proposed by Spectra Energy, would pass through land owned by Chevron’s subsidiary, Texaco.
Chevron filed an emergency motion to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on March 13, three days before FERC released its final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). In the motion, Chevron called on FERC to halt any further action concerning the pipeline. Specifically, the oil company asked FERC to “address significant gaps in the record herein relating to specific environmental risks associated with the proposed route.”
The main reason for Chevron’s concerns about the project is the risk of benzene being released into a waterway known as the Kill Van Kull. Benzene is classified by the EPA as a known human carcinogen. In other words, it causes cancer. The emergency motion stated that there could be “a potentially catastrophic release of benzene into New Jersey public waters.”
When Chevron is concerned about the environmental risks of a project, agencies like FERC should take notice. After all, Chevron brought the world numerous environmental disasters. One of them occurred in Ecuador where the company ran the Lago Agrio oil field from 1965 to 1993, and dumped over 16 billion gallons of toxic waste into Amazonian waterways. Perhaps the $18 billion in damages awarded to the 30,000 Ecuadorians who filed a lawsuit against Chevron caused the company to become more cautious.
Unfortunately, FERC’s final EIS on March 16 concluded that the project “would result in some adverse environmental impacts” but they could be minimized. It’s too bad the agency didn’t heed Chevron’s warning. As Food & Water Watch put it, “If Chevron has environmental concerns about a project, then you know that truly unmitigated devastation of biblical proportions is imminent. The end may truly be near.”
It is amazing that a federal agency can ignore the warnings of an oil company concerning the risks of the pipeline. Even typing that sentence seems strange. Chevron and all oil companies, for that matter, stand diametrically opposed to all environmentalists. However, in this case it’s the federal government who is opposed to both Chevron and environmentalists. Maybe the end is near.
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Read more: Chevron, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, new jersey, pipeline
Photo credit: Wikipedia user, Coolcaesar
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Recent Comments from Causes
Of course they do, why would they think otherwise? The morons!!! Thanks Ashley.
How big are these States (population) relative to the size of the clinics?
that's great, thanks for the news
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+ add your ownHere's the thing - I have two nieces in northeastern NJ. I just read about Camp Lejune and the cancer spike there caused by benzene that they used for almost every type of cleaning for decades and how all these Marines are losing their breasts to cancer and their children to cancers caused by the drinking water on that base. (please note, the marines mentioned are MEN)
Chris Chistie will surely go down in history as the worst governor ever for this amongst his other crimes against the state. I can warn my brother, but like 99% of the public, he won't believe his gov't or any company would do him any harm. I will warn him nontheless.
One more reason I can't wait to retire and leave this embarrassment of a nation!
I'm quite certain that, at this point, there must be dozens of pretty funny jokes about "stupid americans". We should be so proud (scsm)
Like many of you, I think there must be a financial reason, because it certainly isn't in this corporation's interest to do anything altruistic!.
I am shocked but suspicious.............................
I think you'd see a big red flag when and oil company has concerns about a pipeline. Corporate america runs this country not the government...oh wait a minute... "they" are corporate america. It seems like all the politicians have their thumbs in or own the corporate pies. When it all comes down, I pray these scoundrels are the first to suffer for their blatant disregard for their fellow man and Mother Earth.
Doom and gloom. If Chevron does NOT want a pipeline in its back yard and the federal government approves anyhow.--NIMBY NIMBY NIMBY==-we all shout NIMBY. The end must indeed by near--by global warming and the destruction of agriculture within fifty years if something else does not get us first.
Well I have just decided to completely give up on the federal government, all democrats included. The government is a hallow puppet which only exists for the single purpose of serving corporate interests. Our world is screwed.
What's THEIR motive? Things that make you go hmmmm. Thanks.
Oh do they?
I wonder where the other hand is?
Or maybe Chevron has plans of it's own that the pipeline would interfere with...either way, their hands are still dirty and they are only looking out for themselves.
I don't consider that breaking news, or worth of cutting down a tree to print anywhere!
I too, had to read this headline twice. Pretty amazing and responsible of Chevron. And their cautionary position didn't change the vote?
Perhaps the decision could be appealed?
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