New York's Paterson Rejects Long Island Gas Terminal

[marmar]

from Bloomberg:



New York's Paterson Rejects Long Island Gas Terminal (Update1)

By Daniel Whitten

April 10 (Bloomberg) -- New York Governor David Paterson rejected a plan by TransCanada Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc to build a liquefied-natural-gas terminal in Long Island Sound.

The project shouldn't go forward because of the environmental damage it would cause, Paterson said today. ``We must accept the challenge of developing comprehensive alternatives to meet the growing demand for energy on Long Island and throughout the state,'' he said in a statement.

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal on March 28 sent a letter to Paterson threatening a lawsuit and urging him to reject the terminal using authority given to governors under a federal law protecting coastal areas. New York Democrat Hillary Clinton and three other U.S. senators introduced a bill that would reverse a 2005 law giving the federal government primary authority over approving gas terminals.

``The environmental costs would be unacceptable to Long Island Sound and the coast of New York,'' Blumenthal said today in a telephone interview. ``There are better, safer, saner alternatives than this environmental monstrosity and public- safety menace.''

A representative of the Broadwater Energy joint venture of Calgary-based TransCanada and Europe's Royal Dutch Shell couldn't be reached for comment on Paterson's decision.

TransCanada owns Canada's largest pipeline system. Shell, based in The Hague, is Europe's biggest oil company. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=at9H7SC4b0cc&refer=home