New plan shifts LNG battle
SOMERSET - The fight for liquefied natural gas terminal at Weaver’s Cove in Fall River Energy southerly direction from Massachusetts, Rhode Island border to Mount Hope Bay.
The proposed new LNG Offload super tankers in the bay north of the border arises for the operations of Rhode Islanders against the draft, since it would be access to the bay.
Officials were concerned because the road would petroleum brush to densely populated areas and at every arrival would require that the judgement of the Mount Hope Pell and bridges, for security reasons.
The new proposal offers a small amount of good news for Fall River, because there are fewer people that the risk of an accident or terrorist attack, even though the draft calls for a storage tank in LNG a densely populated area.
Regarding the proposal is really shift spotlight in Somerset, including water, the Host-950 feet long oil terminal investment, it, pump dry, and almost every four miles of Pipeline isolation imposed on the transportation of fuel to the storage reservoir In this case River.
“There is no doubt that some obstacles to far with this proposal,” said the former mayor of Fall River Edward M. Lambert, Jr., currently head of the Urban Initiative at UMass Dartmouth.
Lambert, which over the years of the struggle against the project, he said much more serious objections, although the plan would not be viable. Municipalities should be involved in the fight against the new plan, as violently as it original.
“No way. Take Highway, Somerset Selectman Lorne Lawless said he looks, Weaver’s Cove.
Although the company is the counting as offshore alternative Lawless said: “It is not offshore. It is located in the bay. Is near Brayton Point. You want to run, the [transfer] line right proximity to our shores. And they want in the course of the 24-inch [Distribution] Somerset online. ”
Local councillor President William P. Meehan also said that the new proposal is dead in the water, as much as him, even if the city - the text, which already has a large piece of their tax revenues of two power - is to generate most of the last incarnation Weaver’s Cove.
“There is $ 150 million to $ 250 million investment in the waters of Somerset,” says Weaver ’s Cove Speaker James A. Grasso.
Critics of Rhode Island are not reassured. Attorney General Patrick Lynch agrees that the new proposal is not really an offshore project and should be regarded as offensive, as each of Weaver’s Cove Energy’s precedent. ”
“What comes next? Dropping barrels of LNG parachute?” He said.
“They must, as the company has an all-out effort to their concerns,” said Grasso. “We have listened closely municipalities. Much of their concern was that the oil companies, which [Taunton] River. If we prevent some of the questions that people have perceived security.”
This proposal is also less require dredging, even if a gap should be reduced for the four kilometres of pipes transfer fuel taxes from the platform in storage tanks in Fall River.
But also, as the company said it is seriously concerned about the Commonwealth, Grasso said: “These two proposals are on a parallel track, a success. If we can do that, offshore berth, we can, in fact, this plan is in reality. If, for some reason, we can not, we are still pursuing the original proposal, “they want to take advantage of the competence of the Confederation to overcome the roadblocks of states or local communities May.
The spokesman warned that the company may be technical difficulties with the new plan. Since the LNG is pumped in liquid form, pollution at its storage tank, four miles of insulated pipes specifically required for the fuel supercold temperatures for the duration of the trip.
“We do not know if the proposed solution is possible in a technical sense, as it is a new technology,” said Grasso, explaining that most offshore installations pump fuel in the form of gas, Temperature is not a problem.
One thing is certain: the long, costly battle against the project - started in July 2003 - has been fired at zero, because the company with a new proposal from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the local authority to circumvent the dams drive.
Grasso said that companies could pre FERC file as early as this week. It starts with a more complex process, in which all parties concerned will be consulted.
“Much of the work, as key points, where you dredge, has been done”, the centre Weaver’s Cove official said. “I think it would not be so long [approve] of the original proposal . ”
The original plan calls for tankers to the massive influx of Narragansett Bay, Mount Hope Bay, and along the Taunton River to the storage space in Fall River, opposite Somerset.
On both counts, the issue of LNG would require that the closure of the two bridges, Rhode Island, so that the oil could arrive safely.
But it would no longer be necessary for the shutdown of the Braga Bridge, Highway 195 or the new Brightman Street Bridge, which is being constructed in place of Brightman, the circuit 6
The tanker was the focal point of concern.
Even though they have double hulls to prevent dam failures, Freak accident or a terrorist group rocket blew a metre wide hole in the hull and fuel would be zündeten someone was half a mile away blistering burn in less than 40 seconds, according to government studies.
When the hole was three times bigger, the way people look a little less than a mile away would also suffer burns.
The Coast Guard, to treat it as a tanker potential terrorist targets, limiting the traffic of vessels in your vicinity and shutdown of bridges, while the oil d’entre them.
Thus, the common shorebirds were, the project has been campaigning for years. (Fall River is a concern. It is 12000 people within a mile of the land-based storage tank.)
Although Weaver’s Cove FERC received the OK of the plan, subject to approval by the Coast Guard in July 2005, the proposal was in trouble.