Although fracking seems at a stalemate in NYS, that doesn't mean the drillers are at a standstill. They are working hard to get the related infrastruc
Although fracking seems at a stalemate in NYS, that doesn't mean the drillers are at a standstill. They are working hard to get the related infrastructure in place: the pipelines, the storage facilities, the compressor stations, and, gee, you know what would be awfully helpful? A lifting of the defacto moratorium on LNG that has been in place.
This is potentially AS BIG A DEAL as the DEC fracking regs that we all spent the better part of 3 years fighting. Only this time frame is much, much shorter and immediate.
Right now, there are 3 related LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) threats to New York State:
1) They're trying to build a storage center/ gas hub on Seneca Lake;
2) At the south end of the state, they're trying to build a marine port off NYC;
3) And just for good measure, they're getting DEC to write them some handy regs that will allow for storage and transport all over the state.
Below, what to do about it and when (please forward this and activate all your friends to participate). More detailed background follows. We need a statewide, massive response.
Thanks to everyone who's participating!
What to do, in what order, and by when:
1) Comment daily OR by 5pm, Nov. 4th, using Sandra Steingraber's terrific (and terrifically easy) "Return of 30 Days" website. You may also email comments directly to the DEC, attention Mr. Russ Brauksieck, at: derweb@gw.dec.state.ny.us or mail to: NYS DEC - Central Office, 625 Broadway, Room 129, Albany, NY 12233-7020
2) On October 30th, attend a rally and the DEC hearing on LNG.Sign up for the bus from NYC to Albany, OR arrive by 10am for the informational session OR by 2pm for the official public hearing. NYS DEC 625 Broadway, Room 129 Albany, NY
3) By the end of October, keep an eye out for our alert about Liberty LNG. The draft EIS on Port Ambrose is due to be released around the end of the month, and comments will be due a scant 45 days after it's released (groups are working now to have the comment period extended).
A little history on LNG
AP photo 1973 Staten Island LNG accident
There has been a de facto moratorium on LNG facilities since a catastrophic LNG blast on Staten Island over 40 years ago. The 1973 explosion collapsed a cement roof onto 40 workers who were cleaning a tank operated by (you won't believe this part) our friends, Texas Eastern (subsidiary of Spectra Energy and builders of the current NJ-NY pipeline). Ever since then, the LNG lobby has been pounding away trying to get the moratorium reversed. LNG remains illegal in the 5 boroughs of NYC, but with plans to build an LNG port off Rockaway, how long will those rules hold? For more on the background and history of LNG, read this.
1) LNG at the DEC
The DEC is proposing the addition of new rules that would establish a permitting program for the siting, construction, and operation of LNG facilities and transportation of LNG in New York State. in addition to facilities that would fuel trucks (which carries its own set of issues such as increased emissions, truck weight etc.), it would also open the state up to a build-out of LNG infrastructure, and encourage the industrialization of rural New York state. The threat of explosion is valid but we must also recognize that LNG storage and transport is an inherent source of emissions and climate change, and enables fracking expansion.
See instructions below for several ways to comment and hearings to attend. We strongly recommend sending copies of your comments to Governor Cuomo and to state legislators, especially those who have been leaders in the fight against fracking, as well as any bone-headed legislators who remains pro-fracking.
2) LNG in the Finger Lakes
The Short Story: Inergy, DBA "Arlington Gas Storage," plans to expand existing natural gas storage at an existing site, and later create a massive storage hub that is a danger to Seneca Lake in particular, and the Finger Lakes Region in general.
The Long Story: Confusingly, this involves storage of various substances with similar initials: LNG (liquefied natural gas); LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) or, as it is now called, NGL (natural gas liquids). The thing to remember about these substances, as our friends at Gas Free Seneca explain, is that they "are all products of shale gas extraction."
It is believed that if Inergy gets "approval from FERC and DEC for this initial storage proposal, they will have gotten their foot in the door and future expansion will be a given. Thus, the shores of Seneca Lake, the largest of the Finger Lakes, a drinking water resource for 100,000 people and the largest body of fresh water that lies solely within NY State, will become the gas storage and transportation hub for the entire northeast United States. This could include short term storage of natural gas while it awaits transport through existing or new pipelines to LNG export terminals. It would be relatively easy to connect these caverns to the Millenium pipeline that is already servicing the metropolitan NYC area and that could carry the gas to an export terminal."
The comment period for FERC has closed, but people in the Finger Lakes still need our support. Attend the Albany hearing on the 30th of October and stay tuned for Seneca Lake updates.
3) LNG off NYC
The "Port Ambrose" Liberty LNG project is proposed for the ocean off Jones Beach, in exactly the same area as a wind farm is proposed. The first public comment period ended in August, and now the project is continuing through it's review process. The draft environmental impact statement (dEIS) is due to be released around the end of this month, and that starts the clock ticking on a scant 45-day comment period. Folks are already protesting the short comment period and asking for an extension. We will keep you posted as to developments, so stay tuned for more action alerts. To get up to speed on the project, please check this link.
