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

Karenna Gore, Indigenous elders, and more Women's Water Walk participants will deliver water to Governor Hochul from along the Constitution Pipeline's proposed route and call on her to continue standing firm against Trump's attempts to harm New York's water

ALBANY, NY (10/05/2026) (readMedia)-- After completing the Women's Water Walk, a 108 mile walk along the route of the proposed Constitution Pipeline, participants and supporters will rally at the NYS Capitol. The group, including landowners, impacted residents, and members of Indigenous Nations, will share their experiences from the two-week walk, discuss what's at stake, and call on Governor Hochul to stand strong against Trump's attempts to circumvent New York's authority and force the pipeline through.

Following the rally and press conference, the group will go to the Governor's office and deliver water collected from the rivers, lakes, and streams that would be harmed if the Constitution Pipeline is built.

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 protested 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.

WHO:

Karenna Gore, Executive Director of the Center for Earth Ethics at Union Theological Seminary; Bethany Yarrow, Women’s Water Walk, Waterfall Unity Alliance; Owén:nakon Sandra Deer, longtime land defender and educator; Renee Vogelsang, NY Director, Frack Action; Julia Walsh, Director, Frack Action; Center for Organizing; Concerned Health Professionals of NY; Citizen Action NY; Catskill Mountainkeeper; Seneca Lake Guardian; Bless the Streets
WHAT:

 Group of Indigenous grandmothers, local landowners, community members, farmers, faith leaders, artists, and more rally at Capitol after completing 108 mile walk along the route for the proposed Constitution Pipeline, which would threaten New Yorkers’ water and drive up energy bills.
WHEN: Tuesday October 06, 2026 at 12:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
WHERE: Million Dollar Staircase
NYS Capitol
Albany, New York
NOTES:

 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.