Foes of a natural gas pipeline that would connect Pennsylvania natural gas fields to New York and New England power markets went to federal court on Friday to stop the project.

Environmental groups asked the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals to set aside the three FERC orders that approved the $700 million, 650,000-dekatherm Constitution Pipeline.

FERC in late 2014 approved the 124-mile pipeline, granted rehearing in January 2015 and denied rehearing of its order on Jan. 28. (See FERC Upholds Constitution Pipeline OK.)

The group Stop the Pipeline notified the company of its intention to sue in the FERC docket (CP13-499).

Separately, Catskill Mountainkeeper, the Clean Air Council, Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society, Riverkeeper and the Sierra Club asked for review of the original approval and denial of rehearing (16-345).

FERC said the pipeline’s benefits would exceed its impacts on the environment and would supply gas to constrained energy markets in eastern New York and New England.

The commission granted partial permission to Constitution to proceed with limited tree felling along the pipeline route in Pennsylvania but not in New York, where state officials are still conducting environmental reviews. (See New York AG: No Tree Cutting for Pipeline Without Water Quality Permits.)

— William Opalka