FERC Ignores Facts in Broadwater Decision

Statement

Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) issued the following statement denouncing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ' s (FERC) decision to approve the proposed construction and operation of a liquefied natural gas floating storage and re-gasification unit, commonly know as Broadwater, in the Long Island Sound.

The United States Coast Guard must still issue its Letter of Recommendation, which is an official determination regarding the suitability or unsuitability of Long Island Sound to support the proposed facility and associated LNG marine traffic. Additionally, because the proposed project is located within the New York waters of the Sound, a coastal zone consistency determination from the New York Department of State is required as well as several permits from their Department of Environmental Conservation.

"While the FERC decision to give final approval to the Broadwater LNG proposal is irresponsible, it is not altogether surprising. However, this decision to approve the Broadwater facility could only have been made by ignoring the details.

"There continue to be serious concerns that have been inadequately addressed, particularly the consideration of alternatives and, perhaps most importantly, the precedent this project sets and the further industrialization of the Long Island Sound.

"The General Accountability Office (GAO) recently issued a report (please click here to read the report) stating that the U.S. Coast Guard lacks the resources it needs to implement their own mitigation measures. This report provides further evidence that the Broadwater liquefied natural gas terminal puts our community and our natural resources at risk. Given the significant challenges the Coast Guard faces in meeting its homeland security demands, FERC's approval fails their obligation to the public interest. We must be assured that the Coast Guard has the resources needed to protect LNG carriers and the public.

"Additionally, for generations, the Long Island Sound has been a multi-use waterway. It has been the home to a vibrant fishing, lobstering, and shell-fishing community, a means of transporting goods throughout New England , and a recreational playground for avid boaters. The Broadwater LNG facility would, in effect, remove a significant portion of the Long Island Sound from public use - and, contrary to the Commission's argument, that is unprecedented and provides a slippery slope to the further industrialization of the Long Island Sound."

"There are reasonable alternatives to Broadwater that would provide the equivalent infrastructure while maintaining our responsibility to environmental preservation."

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