PennEast won’t go forward with plans for natural gas pipeline after failing to procure permits

The company behind the proposed natural gas pipeline that would have spanned nearly 120 miles from northeastern Pennsylvania to central New Jersey says that it won’t go forward with the project.
PennEast Pipeline Company said Monday that because it hasn't gotten permits from New Jersey it has “ceased all further development” of the project. The decision is the latest swing in a long-running effort to extract natural gas from the Marcellus Shale region of Pennsylvania.
Gov. Phil Murphy and several environmental groups had opposed to project, arguing it would cut a scar across the landscape, threaten wildlife and contribute to the use of fossil fuels.
The governor said in a statement, “I welcome today's decision...and am committed to protecting natural resources and building a clean energy future that works for all New Jerseyans."
The Sierra Club also praised the decision, saying, “PennEast would have threatened countless sensitive creeks and wetlands, while making us more dependent on fossil fuels at a time when we need to be urgently transitioning to clean energy."
The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.