New York, NY — More than 120 climate, environmental justice, public health, faith, and community groups submitted a formal letter demanding that Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation extend the public comment period for the proposed Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) pipeline.

The letter urges the state to extend the current 30-day window to at least 120 days and hold three public hearings in communities that would be affected by the project. NESE — a fracked gas pipeline previously rejected in 2020 for violating state water quality standards — was revived this year following negotiations between Governor Hochul and Donald Trump, who has vowed to fast-track fossil fuel infrastructure across the country.

“New Yorkers fought and stopped this project once before — and we won’t let it be rubber-stamped now,” said Laura Shindell, New York State Director at Food & Water Watch. “Rushing public input to advance a Trump-backed pipeline isn’t just a betrayal of climate law — it’s an insult to the democratic process. Governor Hochul must stop doing Trump’s bidding and give the public the time they deserve to weigh in.”

“When Williams tried to push this project before, literally thousands of New Yorkers turned out to oppose it,” said Sara Gronim of 350Brooklyn. “They would want to know that they are under threat from NESE again.”

The pipeline would bury 17 miles of fracked gas infrastructure through sensitive coastal ecosystems near Staten Island and the Rockaways, threatening marine life, water quality, and the health of frontline communities. Experts warn that dredging for the pipeline could stir up toxic pollution long buried in the ocean floor — contaminating nearby waters and washing pollution onto New York’s beaches. Advocates say fast-tracking such a massive project, with thousands of pages of technical documents, during a sweltering summer and major holiday period, silences public input and violates the intent of New York’s climate and water protection laws.

“New Yorkers have made it clear: we don’t want more pipelines threatening our coastlines, beaches, and communities just to pad fossil fuel profits,” said Saylor Pochan, Chair Emeritus of Surfrider Foundation NYC. “Governor Hochul can’t claim to protect our ocean while opening the door for the same dirty projects we’ve defeated time and again. She needs to extend the comment period, add in-person hearings and listen to coastal communities who will bear the brunt of this risk.”

“Governor Hochul says she’ll review the thrice-denied Williams NESE pipeline to see if it complies with the law, but she’s already ignored New York’s climate law and let National Grid inflate its numbers without any independent check, paving the way to expand the decrepit Iroquois pipeline and Greenpoint LNG depot while making utility bills skyrocket for unnecessary projects,” said Kim Fraczek, Director of Sane Energy Project. “We’re demanding a comment extension because she hasn’t listened to New Yorkers saying no to risking our communities for corporate profit. If she wants to call herself a climate leader, this is her moment to prove it, or voters won’t forget when she comes asking for their trust again.”

The growing backlash comes amid rising scrutiny of Governor Hochul’s fossil fuel record, including her administration’s approval of the Iroquois pipeline expansion earlier this year. The coalition says that New York must not greenlight another dirty energy project — especially one that Trump himself has championed — without a full and fair review process.

“The Williams NESE pipeline was wrong years ago and it’s still wrong for New York now,” said Santosh Nandabalan, Senior Climate Campaigner at New York Communities for Change. “Instead of playing footsie with Trump, Governor Hochul needs to start standing up to him to cut pollution and lower our bills. New Yorkers can’t afford any new or zombie pipelines that Trump wants to bully through and rushing the public review of such a dangerous project reeks of backroom wheeling and dealing.”