OntheWilderSide

If you opposed BROADWATER, READ THIS:

There is a public hearing on September 9 at 4:00 p.m. at SUNY Farmingdale regarding the Draft 2009 Energy Plan for NY, which includes LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) terminals off the shores of Long Beach(http://www.nysenergyplan.com/index.html). We need to act fast and strong to make sure LNG is denounced in the final Plan as a terrible energy choice for NY. We have a very short window to effectively inform Long Island about this LNG island. We need your help in planning what action we should take in preparation for this hearing.

LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS (LNG) ISLAND

Atlantic Sea Island Group’s “Safe Harbor Energy” project is a proposal to build a 60 acre island 13.5 miles off the shores of Long Beach and 23 miles outside the entrance to New York Harbor . This island will encompass 116 acres of the ocean’s floor on the Cholera Bank and will be constructed upward in a pyramid-like land mass in approximately 60-70 feet deep federal waters.

It will sit approximately 30 feet above sea level. The purpose of this island is to serve as a depot for imported liquefied natural gas (LNG).  The process involves liquefying natural gas so that 600 times the amount of gas can be shipped in tankers to this island depot.  The LNG will be re-gasified and then piped to an existing pipe that is already bringing natural gas from New Jersey to Long Island .  A pipeline will need to be laid 12.8 miles, four feet below the ocean’s floor to reach the existing pipeline. 

This is the first of three proposals for LNG terminals being sought for this region of our eastern coastline.  Currently, there are no LNG islands in the United States .  Approval or rejection of this project lies solely at the discretion of the New York and New Jersey governors.  An environmental impact study is currently underway.

HOW THE LNG ISLAND WILL AFFECT  LONG ISLAND , OUR COUNTRY AND THE PLANET  INCREASING OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN FUEL SOURCES:

·   Russia and the Middle East together own two thirds of the world’s natural gas reserves.

· Importing LNG is not a necessity since the US has its own abundant supply of natural gas.  97% of what the U.S. needs comes from North American sources.

· There still remain vast areas of untapped natural gas in the U.S.  The Marcellus Shale is particularly valuable to the New York metro area for increased natural gas supplies, as well as substantially reduced prices, making it unlikely that LNG will be a significant contributor to U.S. gas supply for some time.

· Maintaining our independence also means keeping prices down and profits here. The U.S. ’s ample supply should keep natural gas prices below oil prices for the foreseeable future.  In fact, the U.S. already exports natural gas through pipelines to Canada and Mexico and, in the form of LNG, to Japan, as well.

· Because of new technology and new sources of recoverable natural gas, it is estimated that the U.S. now has a 100- year supply of the fuel.

PLACING OUR NATIONAL SECURITY AT RISK:

· Importing LNG from countries such as Russia , Iran and Indonesia will create a world alliance among countries that import/export natural gas – similar to OPEC.  Adverse business dealings with these countries may put our country’s security at risk.  Countries such as Russia and Iran often use energy in power struggles, threatening nuclear weapons against the United States and Middle Eastern alliances or seizing land in regions that produce natural gas.
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An artistic response to the LNG dilemma:

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ADDING POLLUTION AND INCREASING THE DAMAGE OF GLOBAL WARMING:

· The energy used to convert natural gas to LNG by

cooling it to -259 degrees F, to ship it overseas, and then to re-gasify it adds

at least 20% more CO2 emissions than using domestic natural gas.

UNDERMINING THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SOURCES:

·Wind and solar energy research and development, for

example, will likely be considered less critical, less urgent, less

necessary.

DESTROYING THE ECOSYSTEM OF THE CHOLERA BANK:

· The proposed island will be anchored over the largest

hard, rock-bottom formation off the coast of New York/New Jersey .  Most of

the ocean floor in this region is comprised of sand, silt or mud.

· This hard bottom area has a disproportionately high

importance as the natural habitat and spawning ground for large numbers and

numerous varieties of marine life.

· Recreational and commercial fishermen depend on the

Cholera Bank for its vastly abundant source of fish.  The loss of the Cholera

Bank will represent a particular hardship because of the scarcity of other

hard-bottom locations in the area.

· It will be built something like a pyramid, extending

from the ocean surface down to the ocean floor, filled        in with sand

and stone, effectively destroying the valuable Cholera Bank ecosystem.

SETING A PRECEDENT FOR FUTURE NY/NJ COASTAL LNG TERMINAL PROPOSALS:

· Already in line for approval are the proposals for Excalibur Energy’s “Liberty Natural Gas” Terminal and Exxon’s “Blue Ocean Energy” Terminal.

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Video announcement and skit about last LNG public hearing:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6D9SNcEiRY]

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