The Empire Center said Tuesday that the fatal accident involving a natural gas truck outside Binghamton on Monday, is a negative consequence of the state government’s opposition to gas pipelines.

The accident happened on Interstate 88 in Fenton and claimed the life of 52-year-old truck driver Jeffrey Lind. Police said the Pennsylvania man swerved to avoid hitting a deer.

The truck overturned and about 80 homes were evacuated during the cleanup, according to The Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin.

The fiscally conservative think tank said the truck was part of a group of vehicles that carry natural gas from Pennsylvania to a compressor station in Herkimer County. This is roughly the same route that would have been served by the proposed Constitution pipeline, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo denied permits for in 2016, according to a blog post by Ken Girardin of the Empire Center.

Girardin said the banning of pipelines is resulting in trucks reaching Albany and points to the east by truck.

© 2019 The Post Star

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