Appeals court rejects environmentalists’ call to halt Pinelands pipeline By Jon Hurdle, NJ SpotlightApril 30, 2021 In its finding in favor of the Pinelands pipeline, a state appeals court said it did not threaten the rare sickle-leaved golden aster. (Doug McGrady via Creative Commons) This article originally appeared on NJ Spotlight. — A state Appellate Court on Thursday rejected an appeal by two environmental groups to halt construction of a natural-gas pipeline in South Jersey, saying there’s no evidence that the nearly complete project will hurt groundwater quality, damage endangered species, or conflict with the principles that govern the management of Pinelands preserve.