Environmental advocates are planning a protest in Binghamton on Monday in response to a scheduled visit by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, who is expected to discuss the proposed Constitution Pipeline and New York’s longstanding ban on hydraulic fracturing.
The demonstration is scheduled for 11 a.m. outside Binghamton City Hall and is being organized by Seneca Lake Guardian and several environmental groups that oppose both the pipeline project and any effort to revive fracking in New York. Organizers say they expect residents, advocacy organizations and environmental leaders from across the Southern Tier and beyond to participate.
The Constitution Pipeline was originally proposed more than a decade ago to transport natural gas from Pennsylvania into New York. State regulators denied a key water quality permit for the project, citing concerns about impacts to streams and wetlands. Organizers of Monday’s protest argue the pipeline would threaten water resources and local industries, including agriculture and tourism.
Protest organizers also criticized federal efforts to advance the project, alleging that the Trump administration and pipeline supporters are attempting to bypass New York’s authority to review water quality impacts under the Clean Water Act. They pointed to ongoing legal challenges involving state officials and environmental groups over federal actions related to the project.
Among those expected to attend are environmental advocates, including biologist and ecologist Sandra Steingraber, along with representatives from organizations such as Frack Action, Citizen Action, Catskill Mountainkeeper, Food & Water Watch, Seneca Lake Guardian and the Sierra Club. Organizers say the event is intended to demonstrate continued opposition to both fracking and new natural gas pipeline development in New York.
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