State Postpones Broadwater Ruling: State Postpones Broadwater Ruling

By Tom Incantalupo, Newsday, Melville, N.Y.

Feb. 8–Broadwater Energy and New York State have agreed on a two-month postponement of the Tuesday deadline for a state ruling on whether the proposed site of Broadwater’s liquefied natural gas terminal in the middle of Long Island Sound is environmentally appropriate.

John Hritcko, Broadwater’s senior vice president in charge of the gas terminal project, said through a spokeswoman that the state contacted him Wednesday asking for another 60 days and that Broadwater had agreed. “This is part of the review process and we expect to continue our dialogue,” he said.

The Department of State confirmed that yesterday, saying the extension was “by mutual agreement … to allow for further discussion of what is a very complex proposal.” Neither side would answer questions about specific reasons for the extension.

Rumors had circulated for days that there would be a postponement of the long-awaited milestone in the four-year saga of the liquefied natural gas processing plant.

Word of the extension left project opponents fuming, contending that Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s administration pushed back the deadline to give Broadwater more time to sway public opinion.

“Shell and Trans Canada are using their money, power and influence to push New York State into ignoring the public and acting as an agent for Shell,” the Citizens Campaign for the Environment said. The leading opposition group said it filed a Freedom of Information request to see state agencies’ documents related to Broadwater.

But a Spitzer spokesman, Michael Whyland, said the state requested the extension to have more time to study the issue. “We support the mutual decision … to take appropriate time for a dialogue without the pressure of a looming deadline,” he said.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission also must approve the project, and a decision is expected soon. An environmental impact statement written by the commission’s staff, which said the barge could be operated with minimal negative effects, suggests that the commission is leaning toward approval.

Spitzer is to meet Monday in Albany, at his request, with the Citizens Campaign’s executive director, Adrienne Esposito. Shell Oil Co. president John Hofmeister met with Spitzer last month.

Those opposed to the project say Broadwater’s radio and TV campaign to garner public support is a result of that meeting.

Opponents contend that the project poses too great an environmental risk to the Sound and a security risk to shorelines nine miles away to be worth its benefits.

Broadwater has said the environmental risk is low, and proponents of the project say the region will need the additional energy.

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