• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Full Study Urged for LNG Terminal; Island Off Hull is Proposed Location

Posted on: Thursday, 29 September 2005, 09:00 CDT

By Patriot Ledger staff

Patriot Ledger staff

Environmental groups are calling for a thorough review of a plan to build a liquefied natural gas terminal on a Boston Harbor island not far from Hull. "No site should go forward unless there is a regional assessment of where there is a need and what is safest and most appropriate," said Cynthia Luppi, organizing director for Clean Water Action.

"Natural gas is a cleaner fuel than coal and oil, but we want to make sure that communities aren't put at risk," she added.

The Conservation Law Foundation wants the federal Energy Regulatory Commission to conduct a comprehensive analysis of how much liquefied natural gas the United States will need in the coming years and where best to locate LNG terminals.

"Ensuring an adequate and reliable supply of natural gas to New England is a priority only heightened by instabilities in fuel supply resulting from Hurricane Katrina," foundation President Phil Warburg said. "However, we must be careful not to embrace new siting proposals without very carefully examining their environmental and safety impacts." AES Corp. of Arlington, Va., hopes to build the LNG storage terminal on state-owned Outer Brewster Island, about two miles off Point Allerton in Hull. The company says the island would be a safe place for tankers to dock and unload the highly flammable cargo.

"We should also consider energy efficiency and conservation to avoid putting communities at risk," Luppi said.

Reaction to the plan from environmentalists has been mixed.

Bruce Berman, a spokesman for Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, has said Outer Brewster Island, part of Boston Harbor Islands National Park, should be left untouched.

But Thomas Powers, president of the Island Alliance, an advocacy group for the harbor islands, has said the benefits of building an LNG terminal in a safe place away from homes may outweigh the loss of the island as part of the park.

The proposal would need two-thirds approval of the Legislature before proceeding because the island is under the jurisdiction of state Department of Conservation and Recreation. Other state and federal approvals would also be required.

AES Corp. has estimated that the terminal would cost $400 million to $500 million to build.

Source: Patriot Ledger, The; Quincy, Mass.

More News in this Category