Bateman Says PennEast Win In Supreme Court 'Disappointing'

MERCER COUNTY, NJ – Sen. Kip Bateman (R-NJ 16) said he was “surprised” after the Supreme Court ruled that PennEast Pipeline can seize state-owned land for their project.

With a 5-4 decision, the court ruled that New Jersey cannot block the construction of the pipeline on state-owned land. The ruling upholds authority granted by the federal government empowering PennEast to seize land through eminent domain.

“I was surprised the court agreed to hear the case, and I never expected this decision,” Bateman said in a statement.

Although the news was not good, Bateman said it was by no means “a ‘game over’ proclamation.”

“I have devoted much of my time in the Legislature to protecting New Jersey’s open spaces and natural resources, and my efforts will continue to keep this environmentally damaging, property-value destroying nuisance out of our backyards,” he said.

PennEast is planning to build a 120-mile natural gas pipeline from Pennsylvania to New Jersey, cutting through Mercer County.

The state intended to prevent PennEast from condemning more than 40 land parcels, claiming state immunity from private lawsuits granted by the 11th Amendment. PennEast has filed suit in federal court to condemn a total of 131 properties.

“If the project moves forward, it could have disastrous consequences for the environment,” Bateman said. "The pipeline needlessly jeopardizes the safe, clean flow of water our families and farms rely on.”

Bateman had launched an online petition to fight the project in January 2018.

“Our residents have made it clear they have no interest in this pipeline carving its way through local communities. Together, we have been resisting this for almost five years, and this court decision is not going to discourage us,” he said.

In March this year Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D- Mercer) and Tom Malinowski (D-Hunterdon) introduced a bill to improve the review process of proposed pipeline projects.

Read More Here: New NJ Bill Would Prompt PennEast Pipeline Review

The pipeline would ship gas from Luzerne County in Pennsylvania across the Delaware River to Mercer County. The Trump and Biden administrations had sided with PennEast in the Supreme Court.

Read More Here: NJ Representatives Disappointed As Biden Backs PennEast Pipeline

"I will continue this fight for my community and my constituents who are overwhelmingly opposed to PennEast," Bateman said. "There is still time to stop the pipeline in its tracks.”

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