from Associated Press:
LNG sites divide coastal regions
WASHINGTON - In the battle over liquefied
natural gas terminals, it's one New England
coastal community against the other,
Gloucester vs. Providence.
Determined to fight the proposed LNG tank
expansion in Providence, Rhode Island officials
are quick to point north to Gloucester, where
two companies have proposed an offshore
facility.
"Seems like the best hope is the new offshore
proposal in Gloucester," U.S. Sen. Lincoln
Chafee, R-R.I., told federal regulators
during a recent meeting.
But in Gloucester, where opposition is
already growing, Mayor John Bell has a curt
response to his Rhode Island neighbors.
"Good try," Bell said. "But it's
not going to solve the problem."It's just going to transfer the problem
to another coastal community. The ports
should be working together, not working against
each other."
In fact, the offshore LNG proposals — one
also for Long Island Sound off the Connecticut
shoreline — aren't an easy substitute
for onshore facilities, such as those proposed
for Providence and Fall River.
"There are certain aspects of onshore facilities
that offshore facilities have a hard time
duplicating," said J. Mark Robinson,
director of energy projects for the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission during a meeting
with Rhode Island officials.
That view irks Rhode Island officials who
say they believe FERC sees KeySpan's plan to
expand the existing waterfront ter-minal
at Providence's Fields Point as the easy way
out.
"Been told that it's not viable to go offshore," said
Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch. "I
don't agree with that."
But an offshore docking facility in Gloucester
would bring tankers into waters where fishermen
have been making a living for nearly 400 years.
These days, as many as 150 vessels fish for
lobster and groundfish in the 10 square miles
just southeast of Gloucester.
The Rhode Islanders probably mean no harm, said
U.S. Rep. John Tierney, D-Salem. adding, "They
mean only good things for Rhode Island. But
we have to determine what the energy need
is for this region and what is the best fuel
to met that need."
He and Bell said they are unhappy that
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Ronmey has indicated
initial support for the offshore proposals
and said they are trying to convince him to
veto any Gloucester project.
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From the Gloucester
Daily Times:
1st
Offshore Terminal Now Operating
LNG says "it's
safe!"
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