Karenna Gore, Mark Ruffalo, & Dar Williams Support 108 Mile Walk to Stop the Constitution Pipeline

Group will walk along the route for the proposed Constitution Pipeline, which would threaten New Yorkers' water and drive up energy bills

ALBANY, NY (09/17/2026) (readMedia)-- Earlier today, individuals and organizations supporting the Women's Water Walk, a 108 mile walk along the route of the proposed Constitution Pipeline, announced the walk, shared what's at stake, and shared why Governor Hochul needs to stop it. 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

Watch the announcement here.

The Women's Water Walk, beginning on Saturday, September 19 in Bainbridge, NY, will be led by affected landowners and members of Indigenous Nations whose territories would be impacted by the pipeline, as well as Indigenous leaders around the world. See the complete route and schedule for the walk here.

Last year, Governor Hochul caved to Trump and approved the NESE pipeline. Now, Trump and the fracking industry are trying to circumvent New York State's authority and force the Constitution 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. Trump and the gas industry are pushing this dangerous pipeline, which could be used to power new AI data centers. Thousands of New Yorkers protested the pipeline leading up to 2016, and now residents along the route are reviving the fight and telling Governor Hochul not to cave again.

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

"This walk is a confluence of beauty and power," said Karenna Gore of the Center for Earth Ethics at Union Theological Seminary. "As we make new friends and enjoy being with the land, we will also be drawing deeply from the wells of our faith and wisdom traditions. Pope Leo XIV just announced that his September prayer intention is for 'the care of water,' as part of the Season of Creation, which will end with the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi on Oct. 4, the same day the walk ends. For some, this prayer walk may be part of reawakening humanity's sacred relationship with Earth. For others, it may be an act of responsibility and love for future generations. Others will hear the call to community and belonging in the present day. Whatever the reason, this Women's Water Walk is right on time because we need to come together and stand for what is real and true and good."

"The fracked gas Constitution Pipeline threatens our drinking water and fragile ecosystems. I'm grateful for all of the women walking 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 is not political. It's a prayer for our water and a call for us to come together to protect our water, our communities, and future generations. Men are welcome to walk alongside us and support this prayer carried by the women-because ultimately, it is a prayer for all life. It's 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.

"After years of touring America's small towns, I've seen over and over how key waterways are to communities and local economies. It's a fantasy that we need a new fracked gas pipeline - what we actually need is more renewable energy. I'm proud to be part of the Women's Water Walk, and I urge Governor Hochul: Don't cave! Protect our water and our health by rejecting the Constitution Pipeline," said Dar Williams, musician and long-time environmental advocate.

"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."

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.

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