With 121 eminent domain cases filed, another round of hearings for Constitution Pipeline
“The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is holding public hearings on whether or not to issue a permit to the Constitution Pipeline, a natural gas pipeline that seeks to break ground through Delaware, Schoharie, Broome and Chenango counties this year.
The pipeline cleared its main federal hurdle, approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), on Dec. 2.
Since then, it has been moving aggressively to force reluctant landowners along the 124-mile route to cooperate. The pipeline has filed 121 eminent domain lawsuits against property owners along the route who don’t want the pipeline to cross their land.
About 81 percent of the 625 landowners along the route have signed easements with the pipeline company, while 19 percent have not, according to Constitution spokesman Chris Stockton.
But the DEC still must issue a permit to the pipeline before construction can begin. That gives the public another chance to weigh in.
The DEC is hosting three public hearings this week. They are in Binghamton on Monday, Jan. 12; in Oneonta on Tuesday, Jan. 13; and in Cobleskill on Wednesday, Jan. 14. Details about times and dates are below.”
Reischel, Julia. Watershed Post 12 January 2015.