Challenges to Tennessee Gas Pipeline Project get NJ Supreme Court attention this week

The legality of a 2021 challenge to the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Project is scheduled on the New Jersey Supreme Court agenda for debate by the court justices on Monday (March 28).

Two non-profit groups, the Flood and Water Watch and the New Jersey Highlands Coalition, appealed the project’s Highland Applicability Determination and Water Quality Management Plan Consistency Determination that essentially gave the company a permit to construct an electric-powered 19,000-horsepower natural gas compressor station in Hewitt with accompanying facilities, despite the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act mandates against future area development.

The two non-profit groups hope to intervene with the result of having the Tennessee Gas Company permit to move ahead with the project cancelled. The New Jersey Appellate Division has already denied the company’s request to intervene. Tennessee Gas Pipeline officials contend that they should have been included in the appeal process as an interested party.