FALL RIVER – A proposal for an offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Fall River’s Mount Hope Bay was approved by the U.S. Coast Guard yesterday, The Herald News reported.
According to The Herald News, the Coast Guard’s approval was affirmed in a letter of recommendation from Raymond J. Perry, the Coast Guard captain of the port for southeast New England, to Kimberly D. Bose, secretary of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
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Perry told reporters that his analysis was focused on the navigation and maritime security risks that would arise from the proposed natural gas terminal. The terminal is a project of Weaver’s Cove Energy, a Massachusetts energy company owned by Hess Corp. Since it was first presented, environmental officials, civic officials, and waterfront residents in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island have expressed safety concerns regarding the transportation of natural gas along the waterways.
In his letter, Perry recommends that Narragansett Bay and Mount Hope Bay, leading up to Weaver’s Cove Energy’s proposed offshore berth, “be considered suitable for the type and frequency of LNG transport by ship, and the waters between the offshore berth and the waterfront facility adjacent to the Taunton River be considered suitable for the transfer of LNG by pipeline.”
In his review, Perry also said that he had consulted with various maritime agencies such as the southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island Port Safety and Security Forums and the Southeastern New England Area Maritime Security Committee.
Senator Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., said in a statement that he was disappointed with Perry’s letter of recommendation. “This is certainly a setback, but we won’t give up the battle against this project,” Kennedy said. “We’ve just had the Taunton River designated as a Wild and Scenic River, and there are major concerns about sensitive stocks of fish in the area. It makes no sense to undermine the river and these essential fishing habitats this way.”
Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., also expressed their disappointment with the Coast Guard’s recommendation. In a joint statement, the senators said that the letter of recommendation “fails to take the big picture into account. … The scope of the proposed project and its attendant security measures will crowd out other water users to accommodate a single purpose and place a tremendous burden on taxpayers and local law enforcement,” they said.
R.I. Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch said in a statement that the Coast Guard’s decision was “ill-advised” and “misguided.” He added that his office would continue to work to protect Rhode Island’s interests. “My office will fight on, as we have done, to protect Rhode Island’s coastal communities and families, business interests, and the recreational boating that is so crucial to the identity and integrity of our beautiful Ocean State.”
