Statement of the Hon. Rosa L. DeLauro: FERC Public Hearing on the Proposed Broadwater LNG Floating Storage and Regasification Unit

Statement of the Hon. Rosa L. DeLauro: FERC Public Hearing on the Proposed Broadwater LNG Floating Storage and Regasification Unit

Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) will submit the following testimony into the record at the final public hearing of the Broadwater proposal today.

"I would first like to thank the members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the United States Coast Guard for holding this evening's hearing. Unfortunately, this hearing is one of only one of a very few ways opportunities for Connecticut and its residents to participate in the debate regarding the proposed Broadwater Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) which would be located in the waters of one of the state's most important environmental and economic resources, the Long Island Sound.

"Let me be clear, I do not believe that the Broadwater proposal is the right answer to addressing our region's energy needs. Yes, there is clearly a need for additional energy infrastructure in New York , Connecticut , and the New England Region. However, it cannot come at the cost of one of our region's and this nation's most precious natural resources.

"First and foremost, the Long Island Sound is held for the citizens of Connecticut and New York under the Public Trust Doctrine. For FERC to approve the siting of a facility such as Broadwater, which by all measures would be a permanent fixture in the Long Island Sound, would be a violation of that public trust. The Broadwater facility would require no-access zones which would, in effect, remove a large portion of the waters and seabed of the Long Island Sound from public access. In removing these waters from public access, the Broadwater facility would have an immediate and devastating impact on fisherman and lobsterman who tell me that a significant portion of their annual catch comes directly from this area. Commercial fishing and lobstering, tourism, and recreation on the Sound is worth billions of dollars in economic activity and direct revenues to the State of Connecticut . Is Broadwater prepared and/or willing to make whole these losses over the life of this project? The simple answer is no. So, once again, our businesses and citizens suffer for the benefit of a single entity whose benefits to the state would be negligible at best. In my mind, this does not meet the standards of the greater public good.

"In addition to the destructive aspects of the placement and operation of Broadwater, this facility would require a permanent mooring system that, even after the retirement of the facility, would remain in the Long Island Sound, irreversibly changing the seabed and eco-system of the area. Removal of such a system could not be accomplished without even more significant and detrimental damage to the Sound.

"In addition to violating that public trust, approval of this project would most certainly set a precedent for further industrialization of the Sound. It is unfathomable to me that FERC cannot see the evidence of the race to industrialize the Sound. We have witnessed this over the last several years with the proposal and approval of several projects, each increasingly larger than the last. FERC has approved these projects with little, if any, deference to the State of Connecticut 's siting rights or the significant evidence presented by local experts and citizens. As you know, Congress has recognized the unique ecological sensitivities of the Sound by designating it as one of just two dozen Estuaries of National Significance, and has provided millions of taxpayer dollars to cleaning-up the Sound. Allowing further industrialization of Long Island Sound would run counter to Congress' designation and would essentially waste the considerable investment of tax dollars that already have gone to revitalizing the Sound.

"As I am sure you will hear tonight, the security for the FSRU as well as the LNG tankers transiting the Sound are issues of which is of concern to many. The Coast Guard recently issued their Water Suitability Report which, as I understand it, preliminarily determined that the Long Island Sound could be made suitable for the Broadwater facility if numerous certain conditions were met. Among these conditions is the requirement for a large number of additional equipment and staff for Sector Long Island Sound, which would require a significant increase in the Coast Guard's budget. As a member of the House Budget Committee and the Appropriations Committee, I have some serious concerns that the federal government can meet those requests without jeopardizing other homeland security responsibilities. As you are well aware, we currently face an enormous deficit and Coast Guard resources are already stretched thin.

"It is your job to balance the information that has been provided by Broadwater LNG with that provided to you by the public. You will hear from experts who have dedicated their professional and personal lives to the study of Long Island Sound as well as concerned citizens. It is my hope that you seriously consider the information you have been provided through this public comment process. I believe that if you consider all of the facts, you will find that the Broadwater facility is the wrong project, in the wrong place, at the wrong time."

http://www.house.gov/delauro/press/2007/January/FERC_Hearing_Broadwater_01_16_07.html