After 108 Mile Walk, Indigenous Grandmothers, Local Landowners & More Rally to Stop Constitution Pipeline

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ALBANY, NY (10/06/2026) (readMedia)-- After completing the Women's Water Walk, a 108 mile walk along the route of the proposed Constitution Pipeline, participants and supporters rallied at the NYS Capitol. The group, including landowners, impacted residents, and members of Indigenous Nations, shared their experiences from the two-week walk and called on Governor Hochul to stand strong against Trump's attempts to circumvent New York's authority and force the pipeline through. Following the rally, the group walked to the Governor's office and delivered water collected from the rivers, lakes, and streams that would be harmed if the Constitution Pipeline is built.

WATCH THE RALLY HERE and see photos from the Women's Water Walk attached.

Renee Vogelsang, NY Director of Frack Action said, "The Constitution Pipeline would be a disaster for New Yorkers' water, health, and wallets. That's why it was denied in 2016, and all that's different now is that Trump wants to force more fossil fuels on New Yorkers to power more data centers. Governor Hochul must protect our water, not cave to Trump and the gas industry!"

As this event officially draws the Women's Water Walk to a close, the group announced the New York Women's Water Alliance, a new coalition of women fighting to protect New York's water and stop the Constitution Pipeline.

"Clean water is a basic human right, and women cannot provide for or protect our families without it. Governor Hochul, a mother and a grandmother, knows that as well as anyone. The Women's Water Alliance will tell Governor Hochul: stand with our families, and stand firm against the Constitution Pipeline!" said Julia Walsh, Director of Frack Action and founder of Women's Water Alliance.

If built, the long-denied fracked gas Constitution Pipeline would be a disaster for New Yorkers, threatening our water, costing families more on their energy bills, and posing serious health risks to nearby communities. Trump and the gas industry are trying to circumvent New York State's authority and force the pipeline through, even though it was already rejected by the Department of Environmental Conservation in 2016 because of the threats it posed to water quality, a decision upheld by the courts. Thousands of New Yorkers opposed the pipeline leading up to 2016, and now, residents along the route are reviving the fight. Trump and the gas industry are pushing this dangerous pipeline, potentially to power new AI data centers.

"This walk was a confluence of beauty and power," said Karenna Gore of the Center for Earth Ethics at Union Theological Seminary. "As we made new friends and enjoyed being with the land and natural waterways, we also drew deeply from the wells of our faith and wisdom traditions. For some, this prayer walk was part of reawakening humanity's sacred relationship with Earth. For some, it was an act of responsibility for the well-being of future generations, who deserve a liveable climate. Others heard the call to community and belonging in the present day. Whatever the reason, this Women's Water Walk was right on time because we need to come together and stand for what is real and true and good."

Clara Soaring Hawk, Ramapough grandmother, said: "Let us protect the water-not only in ceremony, but in every choice we make. Let us keep it clean, defend its sources, and teach those who come after us that water is not a possession. It is a sacred responsibility we share.

For the Earth Mother, we stand together.

For our ancestors, we remember.

For our children, we act.

For the generations yet to come, we protect."

"The fracked gas Constitution Pipeline threatens our drinking water and fragile ecosystems. I'm grateful for all of the women who walked in the Women's Water Walk, who are doing the critical, sacred work to unite communities around protecting our water, wildlife, farmland and forests. Governor Hochul and New York State must follow their lead, and continue to stand strong against Trump's attempts to build this destructive pipeline at New Yorkers' expense!" said Mark Ruffalo, long-time environmental advocate, actor and director.

"The Women's Water Walk was a prayer for our water and a call for us to come together to protect our water, our communities, and future generations. It was an honor to walk beside these Indigenous Grandmothers and the prayers that they and their ancestors have carried on this land for generations," said Bethany Yarrow, a Schoharie County resident and one of the lead organizers of the Water Walk.

"If constructed, the Constitution Pipeline will cut through my property," said Tanja Konwinski of Warnerville, N.Y. "In the event of an explosion, this puts my family within the 800-foot incineration zone. I have spent years removing invasive species from the forests, planting native trees, and nurturing the meadows here. The thought that this would all be destroyed to build an unnecessary fracked gas pipeline to power AI data centers is devastating. This pipeline will tie our region's future to fossil fuels at the exact moment we must do the opposite. I am so grateful to every person walking across New York to raise awareness and help protect our water, farms and forests."

"The Constitution Pipeline was a danger to New York's waters when the state rejected it a decade ago, and it still is. The proposed pipeline would cut through streams, creeks, and wetlands that feed the rivers New Yorkers depend on," says Riverkeeper President and Hudson Riverkeeper Tracy Brown. "We walked the proposed route of the pipeline to assert our right to a better future, one fueled by renewable energy and clean, safe water for all. The walk is now completed, but the work to stop this pipeline is not. Riverkeeper will continue the fight to halt this polluting infrastructure and protect our local waterways."

BACKGROUND

The Williams Company, with President Trump's support, is trying to revive the long-denied Constitution Pipeline project. The 30 inch fracked gas mega pipeline's planned route in 2016 was approximately 124 miles from Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania through New York's Southern Tier, through the Western Catskills, and into the Capital Region. The Constitution Pipeline was denied in 2016 by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation given the threats it posed to water quality including from dredging, erosion, sedimentation, and changes in turbidity, among other risks. These dangers could impair drinking water and sensitive streams, including high quality trout habitats.

New York State's 2016 decision to deny the Constitution Pipeline was upheld by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, a decision which the U.S. Supreme Court considered and let stand. Now the Williams Company and the Trump Administration are trying to circumvent New York State's authority and force the pipeline through by asking FERC to revive a decade old application, despite the fact that the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated it. Governor Hochul and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation have argued that the state must have water quality review authority over the pipeline under Section 401 of the federal Clean Water Act.

The Constitution Pipeline also poses significant costs to local residents, with industry insiders and analysts increasingly concerned about how the pipeline would raise ratepayer costs. Bloomberg News further reports that no utility has agreed to purchase the gas, and that the Constitution Pipeline could become a stranded asset. The pipeline is not needed to increase gas capacity.

There is major opposition to the Constitution Pipeline. Leading up to 2016, thousands of New Yorkers protested it and led a major movement to stop it. Now, residents along the route are again holding many information sessions and are seeing broad and deep opposition to the pipeline. In September of 2025, 40 state lawmakers sent a letter against the Constitution and NESE pipelines. As the state legislators noted, pipelines like the Constitution are very expensive, and ratepayers ultimately end up paying higher rates, along with threats to local economic engines including agriculture, small businesses, tourism, fishing, and recreation.