Natural Gas Pipeline in Brooklyn? Bill in Congress Brings Industrial Development to Riis Park, Jamaica Bay, Gateway National

Huh? Natural gas pipelines under Jamaica Bay? Say what?

I just received a petition to stop a piece of legislation being considered in Congress, HR 2606. This bill will  "authorize the Secretary of the Interior to allow the construction and operation of natural gas pipeline facilities in the Gateway National Recreation Area, and for other purposes."

One might call that industrial development in Jamaica Bay???

Here's the link to the legislation, HR 2606, and also to the grassroots petition to NY Senators Schumer  and  Gillibrand, opposing the legislation. The bill, introduced in 2011, has passed the House (as far as I can tell they discussed it for a whole 40 minutes) and is now pending in the Senate. (See the bill's progress and current status here.)

The petition against this bill states,

HR 2606 permits the construction of a high-pressure gas pipeline through Gateway National Recreation Area and a gas metering and regulating station in the historic hangars at Floyd Bennett Field. We the undersigned oppose this project because it:

• Turns over land held in the public trust to private industrial use.
• Threatens wildlife, wetlands, and sensitive ecosystems.
  
• Puts park users and area residents at risk.
• Promotes hydrofracking and the use of shale gas.

Check it out. The lease is for 10 years, according to the legislation. But once a pipeline is there, it's there.