Obama signs bill allowing pipeline in Rockaways
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has signed legislation allowing a pipeline through New York's Gateway National Recreation Area.
The president Tuesday signed a measure authorizing Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to issue permits to build and maintain the natural gas pipeline, which is aimed at boosting the region's access to natural gas.
The three-mile line would run from the Atlantic Ocean beneath Jacob Riis Park in the Rockaways and under Jamaica Bay to Brooklyn's Floyd Bennett Field. Some area residents and environmental activists have voiced safety and planning concerns about the project.
In a statement, Republican New York Rep. Michael Grimm says the project could create as much as $265 million in construction activity and 300 construction jobs. He calls it an important economic boost after Hurricane Sandy hit the region.
