More than 200 waterways and wetlands could be affected by a proposed natural gas pipeline crossing the Catskills, including areas that supply drinking water. Now, renewed efforts to advance the project are raising questions about New York’s ability to protect the region’s water resources, as a separate lawsuit challenges the state’s ban on fracking.

Dr. Kathleen Nolan, senior research director at Catskill Mountainkeeper, says the legal battles could have significant consequences for environmental protections and public health across New York.

“The mood seems to be in the oil and gas industry and in individuals who support the oil and gas industry, that there’s an opportunity with the current support from the federal government to challenge New York State’s efforts to protect our environment and our public health,” Nolan said.

One dispute involves the Constitution Pipeline, which would run from Pennsylvania through the Catskills, and the Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) pipeline, which would run beneath Raritan Bay south of New York City. Both projects faced opposition over potential environmental impacts and were denied permits in previous years.

The Constitution Pipeline was denied a water quality certification under the federal Clean Water Act in 2016. Nolan said the proposed project would cross more than 200 waterways and wetlands, including areas that serve as drinking water resources and aquifers.

“The Constitution pipeline has an enormous impact potentially on those waterways and water wetlands that it crosses,” Nolan said.

Rep. Mike Lawler, a Hudson Valley Republican who is in a close re-election fight, said on October 19 that the Trump administration is investing $42 million to advance the proposed 125-mile Constitution Pipeline. The administration is turning to a wartime-era authority to bolster the natural gas pipeline’s development.

Williams Companies is the developer behind the Constitution and NESE pipelines. In an October 22, 2026 statement about the Constitution Pipeline, Williams spokesperson Cherice Corley said the company “remains committed to working through the regulatory process to advance this important infrastructure project.” On its website, the company says the project could improve energy affordability and support regional economic growth.

Regarding the NESE project, a Williams company spokesperson told Reuters in September that Williams was working with state regulators to address a court ruling that overturned a key New Jersey water-quality permit.

The Northeast Supply Enhancement project presents different risks, Nolan said, including the potential disturbance of sediment beneath Raritan Bay that may contain accumulated chemicals.

The legal disputes also raise questions about the balance of authority between state and federal regulators. Nolan said one concern is whether the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission could attempt to override New York’s environmental protections.

Another lawsuit challenges New York’s ban on high-volume hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking. The state prohibited the practice in 2014 following reviews by the state Department of Environmental Conservation and Department of Health.

Nolan said those agencies “came to the conclusion that fracking could not be conducted safely.”

The lawsuit was brought by a father and son who purchased land in the Delaware County town of Sidney. They argue that the state’s restrictions deprive them of the opportunity to profit by leasing their property for oil and gas extraction.

New York is defending the ban. Catskill Mountainkeeper is seeking permission to intervene in the case and provide information about the history and rationale behind the restrictions.

The organization will host a webinar Thursday at noon featuring Nolan and Mark Eisman, a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, to discuss the cases and their potential consequences.