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For Immediate Release
January 12, 2007 |
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CT Officials Object
to Broadwater Proposal
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Connecticut’s Congressional
delegation today declared their opposition to the proposed
Broadwater Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Storage and Regasification
Facility in Long Island Sound. The proposed LNG facility is
roughly the size of the Queen Mary II and will sit approximately
10 miles from the Connecticut shoreline.
“We have grave concerns about the impact that this
permanent structure would have on the long-term health and
vitality of the Long Island Sound. Perhaps more importantly,
we are concerned with the precedent the approval of this project
would create regarding the sitting of industrial facilities
in waters and on land considered a public trust,” wrote
the lawmakers. “As representatives of the State of Connecticut
and its residents, we are reiterating our strong and united
opposition to the construction of Broadwater. While we understand
and appreciate our nation’s and this region’s
need for additional energy resources, we do not believe that
the Broadwater project is the best way to meet these needs.”
The full text of the letter follows.
January 12, 2007
Mr. Joseph Kelliher
Chairman
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20426
Dear Chairman Kelliher and Commission Members:
It was with great disappointment that we read the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) recently issued by the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) with regards to
the proposed Broadwater Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Storage
and Regasification Facility which would be constructed in
the waters of the Long Island Sound. We have grave concerns
about the impact that this permanent structure would have
on the long-term health and vitality of the Long Island Sound.
Perhaps more importantly, we are concerned with the precedent
the approval of this project would create regarding the siting
of industrial facilities in waters and on land considered
a public trust. As representatives of the State of Connecticut
and its residents, we are reiterating our strong and united
opposition to the construction of Broadwater. While we understand
and appreciate our nation’s and this region’s
need for additional energy resources, we do not believe that
the Broadwater project is the best way to meet these needs.
Long Island Sound is held for the citizens of Connecticut
and New York under the Public Trust Doctrine. Throughout time,
both states have taken this responsibility seriously and have
acted to preserve and protect the Sound and its habitat for
the benefit of the residents and communities they represent.
Connecticut and New York have invested millions of dollars
to clean up the Sound and restore habitats both on and off-shore,
and it was through a bi-state effort that the Long Island
Sound was designated by Congress and the federal government
as an estuary of national significance. All of these efforts
have been made to ensure that the Long Island Sound would
remain a healthy environment for both recreational and economical
purposes for present and future generations. It is our contention
that 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. Additionally,
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.
In addition to violating that public trust, an approval of
this project would most certainly set a precedent for further
industrialization of 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.
We also have concerns with the Commission’s initial
determination that the construction and operation of the Broadwater
facility would not cause major environmental impacts. In several
areas throughout the DEIS, FERC states that impacts would
be minor but would occur over the life of the project. It
is critical that when considering environmental impacts to
any region, especially water resources, that these impacts
- - those to water and air quality, biological resources,
and species themselves - - be considered cumulatively and
in the long-term. The Broadwater facility is planned to be
in operation for thirty years and it is difficult to believe
that three decades of “minor” impacts will not
have a major long-term effect on the health and vitality of
the Sound and its eco-system. We have spent billions of dollars
to clean-up the Sound - - to protect the environment and the
species that call the Sound home. In just the last decade,
we have seen the incredible impacts that even the smallest
changes in the environment can have on this delicate eco-system.
We have witnessed the devastating impacts on shellfish and
lobsters that have occurred due to slight changes in the eco-system
which were also described as minimal but long-term. As stewards
of this estuary, we have committed ourselves to protecting
the Long Island Sound, as is our responsibility, and we must
express our strong disappointment in FERC’s initial
determination that this project will not have a significant
environmental impact on the Sound.
We are looking forward to participating in the upcoming
public process and urge you to take into serious consideration
the professional and public comments which are provided to
you. We are confident that the information provided to FERC
through this public comment period will have a significant
impact on the conclusions of the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for the Broadwater project. We appreciate your time,
review, and consideration of our comments.
Sincerely,
| Christopher Dodd |
Joseph I. Lieberman |
| Rosa L. DeLauro |
Christopher Shays |
| John Larson |
Christopher Murphy |
| Joseph Courtney |
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Contact: Sarah Moore: 202/225-5541
Contact:
Sarah Moore, 202/225-5541
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