Thank you for your interest in the Blue Plan.
It is very true that upland communities have an important connection to Long Island Sound, especially in terms of water quality.
However, the Blue Plan is not mandated to address water quality in Long Island Sound.
This is because many other programs like the Long Island Sound Study (http://longislandsoundstudy.net/), and other efforts through CT DEEP are heavily involved in this issue.
We would encourage you to reach out to those efforts for the upland/Long Island Sound water quality connection.
For MS4 questions you can also contact chris.stone@ct.gov at CT DEEP and amanda.ryan@uconn.edu at UConn CLEAR.
Broadwater abandons LNG project in Long Island Sound
Judy Benson, The DAY
Published March 07. 2012 7:02PM
Updated March 07. 2012 7:03PM
The Broadwater Energy project on Wednesday informed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that it is vacating the FERC permits it received in 2008 to construct and operate a liquified natural gas processing and supply facility in the middle of Long Island Sound.
Broadwater has not begun any aspect of the construction, and “has determined not to go forward with any aspect of the LNG project,” Broadwater Attorney Kenneth Wiseman wrote in a letter to FERC...story in full:
http://www.theday.com/article/20120307/NWS12/120309662
Broadwater Decision Pleases Congressional Delegation
Hartford Courant
By Christopher Keating on April 13, 2009 7:26 PM
Virtually the entire Connecticut Congressional Delegation stepped forward Monday to praise the decision by the U.S. Department of Commerce to uphold New York State's decision against Broadwater, a highly controversial floating terminal that had been planned for the middle of Long Island Sound - just over the Connecticut line in New York State.
In addition to Senators Christopher Dodd and Joseph Lieberman, U.S. Reps. Joe Courtney, Rosa DeLauro, Jim Himes and Chris Murphy have fought against the LNG project...for story in full go to Hartford Courant.
Nemesis to state resigns at FERC
Kelliher was the federal government champion of Broadwater, the monstrous liquefied natural gas platform proposed for Long Island Sound. More so, however, as head of FERC, Kelliher was an advocate for trampling on the rights and authority of states and local communities to control their destiny on energy issues...story in full at CT Post.
Connecticut Post Staff
Updated: 01/12/2009 06:48:38 PM EST
Joseph Kelliher is not exactly a household name in Connecticut, but state residents have reason to cheer his decision to step down as head of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
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Global Demand Squeezing Natural Gas Supply
NYTIMES
By CLIFFORD KRAUSS
Published: May 29, 2008
CAMERON PARISH, La. — The cost of a gallon of gas gets all the headlines, but the natural gas that will heat many American homes next winter is going up in price as fast or faster.
That fact makes the scene in the languid, alligator-infested marshland here in coastal Louisiana all the more remarkable...“I know the L.N.G. will come and we’ll make a profit on this,” said Darron Granger, a Cheniere senior vice president. “I just can’t say when.” Story in full at NYTIMES.
Broadwater To Appeal Setback
Hartford Courant
Associated Press
April 29, 2008
Elected officials and environmentalists shrugged off an announcement Monday by Broadwater Energy that it would appeal to the U.S. commerce secretary in its bid to build the world's first floating liquefied natural gas terminal, in Long Island Sound.
Broadwater's decision comes after Gov. M. Jodi Rell, a Republican, and New York's David Paterson, a Democrat, announced opposition to the $700 million terminal. Broadwater is a consortium of Shell Oil and TransCanada Pipelines Ltd...
"They can appeal all they want. We are very confident they are going to lose," said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment...story in full at Hartford Courant.
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NOTE: The terminal might be size of the Queen Mary 2 — "...The length of four football fields and about 8 stories high. It would be 9 miles off the north shore of Long Island and 11 miles from the Connecticut coast" the Courant's story says.
Bill Would Give States Power Over LNG Sites; One terminal has been proposed for Long Island Sound
DAY
Published on 4/9/2008
Portland, Ore. (AP) — Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, backed by influential peers, introduced a bill try to recover state authority for licensing and siting liquefied natural gas terminals from federal energy regulators.
The Oregon Democrat was backed by presidential candidates Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as well as Connecticut Sens. Christopher Dodd and Joe Lieberman...story in full at DAY.
Feds Approve Broadwater Energy
By DAVID FUNKHOUSER And JESSE A. HAMILTON | Courant Staff Writers
12:40 PM EDT, March 20, 2008
Federal energy regulators today approved Broadwater Energy's application to moor a natural gas plant in the middle of Long Island Sound, a key turning point in more than three years of study and argument over the controversial project.
At a meeting in Washington, commission Chairman Joseph T. Kelliher said the project proposal meets federal safety and environmental standards and noted the commission imposed some 80 conditions intended to further mitigate its impact.
Kelliher also criticized unnamed "public officials" who he said "have done a disservice to the citizens in the region" by "exploiting fears" of a threat to public safety and environmental damage. Pointing to the thousands of pages of documents prepared in the course of the project review, he said charges by local officials and others that the FERC report is inadequate are false.
Broadwater Energy, a company formed by Shell Oil and TransCanada Pipeline, is proposing to build a 1,200-foot-long vessel to process liquefied natural gas and pipe it to New York and Connecticut. The facility would be moored to a fixed tower in the middle of the Sound, about nine miles from Long Island and 10.5 miles from Branford...full story at Courant.
U.S. May Act Soon On Broadwater
By DAVID FUNKHOUSER | Courant Staff Writer
March 15, 2008
The federal agency charged with reviewing the Broadwater natural gas project in Long Island Sound could make its long-awaited final decision Thursday in Washington.
The controversial project is on the agenda of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the panel will hear a presentation from its staff, said spokeswoman Tamara Young-Allen.
Even if approved, the project still needs approvals from three New York State agencies to go forward. Opponents in Connecticut, including Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, have vowed to take the matter to court if Broadwater wins approval from federal and New York state regulators.
The soon-to-be governor of New York, David Paterson, said he was considering postponing a decision on the project. The New York Department of State is due to rule by April 11 whether the project meets that state's standards for the use of coastal resources.
Paterson takes over Monday from Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who will resign from office that day following revelations of his use of a high-priced prostitution service...BROADWATER decision out of former Governor's hands.
Rell: LNG Task Force Report 'Scathing Indictment' - Broadwater Claims The Study Is Flawed, Governor 'Vitriolic'
DAY
Published on 3/13/2008
The task force created by Gov. M. Jodi Rell to evaluate the floating liquefied natural gas terminal proposed by Broadwater Energy for Long Island Sound has written a “scathing indictment” of the project in its final report.
Rell said in a news release Wednesday that the report concludes that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's environmental-impact statement on the project, which favors its approval, is deeply flawed. The task force, which Rell formed 21/2 years ago, reviewed the report and other documents, conducted public hearings and heard expert testimony from scientists.
“My panel has reached three major conclusions,” Rell said. “FERC never performed a serious analysis of the potential environmental consequences; FERC undertook an absurdly limited review of the alternatives to Broadwater; and the alternatives will likely be meeting the energy needs of both Connecticut and New York before the Broadwater project is ever completed and on line.”
In a written response, John Hritcko Jr., a senior vice president and regional project director for Broadwater Energy LLC described Rell's statement at “vitriolic and factually flawed.” Story in full at DAY.
Gas terminal gains support
Stamford ADVOCATE
By Brian Lockhart
Published December 2 2007
Roger Daskam, owner of Grand Prix Service auto repair in Stamford, does not understand the opposition to Broadwater Energy's plan to locate a liquefied natural gas terminal in the middle of Long Island Sound...
See ADVOCATE for story in full.
LNG plant should give Sound a wide berth
CT POST
CHARLES WALSH column
Article Last Updated: 05/29/2007 08:49:20 AM EDT
If you are like me (and I know that is asking a lot), you want to jam your fingers into your alimentary canals and hum the national anthem whenever you hear somebody start talking about the Broadwater floating gas terminal that Shell Oil and Trans Canada Corp. want to put in the middle of Long Island Sound.
You just know the person or persons doing the talking are either rabidly for, or rabidly against, the idea of permanently anchoring a 1,200-foot-long factory ship 14 miles off Branford. As such, they give a one-sided, fact-selective view of the project's advantages or disadvantages, skillfully leaving out mitigating factors that might bolster the other side's position. When they are done you find yourself more confused than when they started. You had precisely the same positive reaction a week ago when someone from the other side delivered their spiel...
Study: LNG Tanker Blast And Fire Could Be Intense Enough To Burn Victims A Mile Away
DAY
By H. Josef Hebert , Associated Press Writer
Published on 3/15/2007
Washington — Fire from a terrorism attack against a tanker ship carrying liquefied natural gas could ignite so fiercely it would burn people one mile away, according to a congressional study. It examined terror risks on the nation's waterways and concluded that further research is needed to understand the consequences of such a remarkable inferno...
LNG Tanker-Traffic Concerns Lodged; Ferry Service, Lobstermen: Broadwater Plan Would Create Problems In The Race
DAY
By Judy Benson , Day Staff Writer
Published on 2/3/2007
Cross Sound Ferry and two Noank lobstermen who fish in The Race are concerned that locating a floating natural gas terminal in the middle of Long Island Sound could severely hamper their operations...
Governor's Task Force Needs 'All These Basic Questions Answered' - Broadwater questions panel's representation
DAY
By Judy Benson
Published on 1/24/2007
Hartford — The governor's task force on a proposal for a floating natural gas terminal in Long Island Sound said a federal environmental impact report on the project is seriously flawed, containing incomplete and incorrect science on safety, environmental and other aspects.
The Long Island Sound LNG Task Force, headed by state Sens. Len Fasano, R-North Haven, and Andrea Stillman, D-Waterford, submitted a 48-page analysis of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission environmental report Tuesday and released it to the media at a Capitol news conference.
“We're saying, 'Stop.' We need to have all these basic questions answered,” Stillman said...
DEP Faults Federal Analysis Of Broadwater LNG Impact; State officials: FERC report comes up short
DAY
By Judy Benson
Published on 1/24/2007
Hartford — The state Department of Environmental Protection has told a federal regulatory agency that it has not substantiated its conclusion that a floating natural gas terminal could be located in Long Island Sound safely and with little harm to the environment, and has called on it to do more extensive analysis on the legal, aesthetic and wildlife impacts.
The DEP's comments were submitted Tuesday to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the agency considering whether to approve Broadwater Energy's plan to park a liquefied natural gas terminal in New York state waters 10.5 miles south of the Connecticut shoreline and nine miles north of the Long Island shoreline.
Also filing comments Tuesday critical of FERC's analysis of the Broadwater project were Gov. M. Jodi Rell's LNG Task Force and state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. Both told FERC its report failed to address key legal, safety and environmental issues and should be redone...this story and others at DAY.
Group Criticizes LNG Environmental Report
DAY
By Judy Benson
Published on 1/23/2007
Hartford - The governor’s task force on a proposal for a floating natural gas terminal in Long Island Sound is calling on federal regulators to extensively redo its environmental impact report on the project, saying it found the assessment failed to consider several key aspects.
The Long Island Sound LNG Task Force, headed by state Sens. Len Fasano, R-North Haven, and Andrea Stillman, D-Waterford, submitted a 48-page analysis of the environmental report to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission today, FERC’s deadline for comments, and released it to the media at a Capitol news conference.
The FERC report concluded that the Broadwater Energy terminal and tankers that would supply it with liquefied natural gas would have minimal environmental impacts, that safety, security and environmental effect could be satisfactorily minimized, and that it would fill a need for natural gas in the New York and Connecticut. The draft report is the basis for a final report, expected to be completed in three to four months, that will recommend whether FERC should approve the project...
Connecticut's Stake
DAY editorial
Published on 1/11/2007
Connecticut has made it resoundingly clear that even though the proposed Broadwater liquefied natural gas terminal will be in New York territorial waters, this state has both a large stake in the outcome of the matter and serious questions about the proposal that require clear answers from federal regulators...
Gov. Rell led off the salvos of opposition to the project in a statement read into the record by her commissioner of Environmental Protection, Gina McCarthy. The governor characterized the move as a taking of public property, colorfully comparing what would take place as akin to obtaining an easement to drive through someone's gardens or to locating an industrial plant in the middle of a national park. The testimony included a repetition of the point that the project would result in the act of handing over property held in public trust to a private industry. Broadwater is a consortium of energy companies led by Shell Oil Co.
The governor demanded and the state is entitled to influence FERC's decision. Connecticut and New York are jointly responsible under law for protecting Long Island Sound, and collaborate in confronting pollution and other threats to the well-being of the Sound. They arguably get little help or encouragement from the federal government...editorial in full at the DAY.
Scientists Cite Flaws In LNG Assessment; Finding Of Minimal Impact On Sound 'poorly researched'
DAY
By Judy Benson
Published on 12/8/2006
Four scientists who specialize in the geology, biology and ecology of Long Island Sound told a state panel Thursday that the federal analysis of how a floating liquefied natural gas terminal would affect the Sound is seriously flawed...story in full at the DAY.
Gas Plant: Decision Ahead; Federal Regulator Says Agency's Review Is Limited To Safety
By DAVID FUNKHOUSER, Courant Staff Writer
December 4, 2006
As chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Joseph T. Kelliher wants to make a few things clear about his agency's review of a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal in Long Island Sound...story in full at Courant.
LNG Firm Agrees To Pay $23.5 Million For Impact
DAY
By Associated Press
Published on 12/3/2006
Boston (AP) — Developers of one of two liquefied natural gas terminals proposed offshore from Gloucester have agreed to pay $23.5 million in fishing and environmental impact compensation, according to a published report.
The Boston Globe reported Saturday that the deal, common on major infrastructure construction projects, was reached Friday between Texas-based Excelerate Energy and the state, giving it environmental approval from the state. Excelerate proposes to build its Northeast Gateway terminal 13 miles off Gloucester.
Gov. Mitt Romney still must give final approval of the Excelerate Energy project, and has until Dec. 26 to make a decision...story in full at DAY.
Lawmakers Expect Boost In LNG Fight; New England Democrats to have more leverage
DAY
By ANDREW MIGA, Associated Press Writer
Nov 26, 2006
WASHINGTON (AP) -- New England lawmakers say the Democratic takeover of Congress should strengthen their hand as they press federal regulators for a regional approach to siting liquefied natural gas terminals.
Proposed LNG facilities in Massachusetts and in Long Island Sound between Connecticut and New York have been controversial, stoking concerns about public safety and the environment.
Because key Democrats from New England will be assuming more powerful roles in the new Congress, advocates for a regional LNG strategy expect to have more leverage in persuading federal officials to scrap the current project-by-project review of proposed facilities - and to start looking at the proposals from a broader perspective before giving approval...story in full at DAY.
The Energy Conundrum; What Broadwater and rising electric rates in Connecticut have to do with each other.
DAY editorial
Published on 11/21/2006
Not to anyone's surprise, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has concluded that a proposed floating liquefied natural gas terminal in Long Island Sound would not damage the environment and would fill a critical need for energy in New York and Connecticut. Just as predictably, critics in the state, including Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, have vowed to fight on against this project...Editorial in full at DAY
Little impact seen from Gazprom plan not to ship gas to US
Last Update: 12:00 PM ET Oct 12, 2006
(This article was originally published Wednesday.)
HOUSTON (MarketWatch) -- OAO Gazprom's (GSPBEX.RS) decision to send natural gas from Russia's Shtokman field to Europe via pipeline rather than liquefy it and ship it to the U.S., won't affect the medium-term prospects of the North American regasification business, analysts and industry officials say.
Most liquefied natural gas cargoes are currently directed to European ports where they enjoy higher prices than in the U.S. However, as Europe develops more gas storage capacity and more liquefaction projects come on line in Equatorial Guinea, Norway and other countries over the next three years, more LNG will be available for U.S. markets...
Price Gap
Russia's decision to supply Europe over North America underscores the fact that the U.S. must compete with the rest of the world to bring LNG to its shores. So far, its performance has been unimpressive.
The LNG business is divided into two distinct geographical regions, the Atlantic Basin and the Pacific Basin. For most purposes, gas-producing nations in the Atlantic such as Trinidad, Egypt, Nigeria and Algeria will ship their gas to North America and Europe, said Stacy Durbin Nieuwoudt, an energy analyst with Pickering Energy Partners in Houston.
This year, at least two cargoes headed for an LNG terminal in Lake Charles, La., were diverted midway from the U.S. to Europe where the gas fetched higher prices. Europe's lack of storage capacity, as well as the euro's strength in relation to the dollar, has made the LNG market there more lucrative.
U.S. demand for LNG may grow to 3 billion cubic feet a day in the next three years, a 30% increase from 2006, said Herold's Perry. By 2010, U.S. demand is projected to rise to between 4 billion and 5 billion cubic feet a day of imported gas. The strengthened demand will level the playing field with Europe, he said...story in full at MARKET WATCH.
Another strike against LNG plant
CT POST editorial
Article Launched: 09/25/2006 02:54:23 PM EDT
Mark one more strike against a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal being situated in the middle of Long Island Sound.
The United States Coast Guard on Friday confirmed what many have been contending for months: The proposed LNG terminal poses a safety and security risk to our region. It would necessitate more firefighters, escort boats and other measures to both prevent and respond to accidents or terrorist attacks...Editorial in full at CT Post website.
Broadwater Foes Brace for Conflicts Over LNG Terminal
By DON CASCIATO, Westport NEWS
August 18, 2006
At a time of year when state residents as well as vacationers enjoy Long Island Sound, representatives from Save the Sound met with Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal in New Haven earlier this week to scope out a Broadwater Energy strategy for the months ahead...
Major Legal Issues
Leah Schmalz, director of legislative and legal affairs for Save the Sound, a program of Connecticut Fund for the Environment, added: "Because Long Island Sound belongs to the residents of New York and Connecticut, the proposal continues to raise important legal issues concerning the rights of the citizens of both states.
"Not only are there a variety of ways to assure adequate gas and energy supplies for New England, there are common sense approaches that do not require the industrialization of a large portion of the Sound..."
Report Card
In another recent development, Save the Sound has released its annual environmental report card titled "Long Island Sound Municipal Environmental Progress Report, June 2006."
Results in the report are mixed with only two out of 74 municipalities receiving grades of "very good" overall. Most municipalities don't have strong programs to address polluted runoff, according to Robin Kriesberg, Save the Sound's interim director of Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship...story in full at Westport NEWS.
Broadwater Energy Seeks Permission to Build Projects Related To LNG Plan
DAY
By Judy Benson
Published on 12/9/2006
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has received an application from Broadwater Energy for construction projects related to its plan for an offshore liquefied natural gas terminal in Long Island Sound.
The application is to construct the yoke mooring system that would be used to anchor the LNG barge in the middle of the Sound, in New York waters about 10 miles south of Branford. Broadwater is also seeking the Army Corp's permission to construct an undersea pipeline to carry the natural gas from the barge to a main pipeline in the western end of the Sound, and to place fill in the Sound.
Broadwater, a partnership of Shell Oil and TransCanada Pipeline, is seeking its main permits for the facility from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The Army Corps regulates the construction of the proposed structures and placement of fill...story in full at the DAY.
Gas Plant Faces Issue of Secrecy
NYTIMES
January 8, 2006
By JOHN RATHER
AS a host of safety questions have been raised about Broadwater Energy's plan to build an immense floating liquefied natural gas plant in the middle of the Long Island Sound, its message to elected officials and the public has been consistent: Wait until the facts are in before making up your mind...story in full in NYTIMES.
Q U I C K S U M M A R Y I M A G I N E A
F L O A T I N G L I Q U I D N A T U
R A L G A S T A N K E
R T E R M I N A L . . . M I D - L . I . S O U N D
BEFORE WCCOG THERE WAS...SWRPA -
meeting held August 1, 2005 ("About Town" videotaped this
program in Super VHS): Stamford Government Center. CT-N there, too.
Editor's note: In the first of a three-part series, The Day looks at the proposal for a liquefied natural gas terminal in Long Island Sound. Today's story explains the natural gas industry, specifics of the proposal and reaction to it. The next two installments will look at environmental and safety issues and how the LNG proposal has brought together the two sides of the Sound.
Icy white amid the concrete factory, tawny warehouses and railroad tracks that share this industrial neighborhood along the Providence River, the 25-million-gallon tank tended to by Tony LaRusso and his 11-man crew holds in its belly an up-and-comer of the energy world.
Inside, frigid beyond the tundras of bleakest Antarctica, this fuel known as LNG, or liquefied natural gas, awaits the coming winter, when its heat-generating powers will be kindled to help keep Rhode Island warm.
...Currently, natural gas produces about 40 percent of the energy consumed by homes, businesses and utilities in the Northeast, but federal studies estimate that will grow by about 2 percent annually.“There's an enormous demand for it, because it's a cleaner burning fuel (than coal or oil),” said Peggy Laramie, spokeswoman for the association. “Production of natural gas in the U.S. is flat. We've got maturing wells, and a lot of restrictions” on developing new gas fields.
“If you want to get a lot of natural gas in quickly,” she said, “you
need to bring it in on a ship. Federal governments and states and
communities have some important choices to make. The challenge is to
make grown-up decisions about how to meet demand in an environmentally
responsible way...” link to another part of multi-part series here.
Skepticism looms over floating terminal
Just ask Adrienne Esposito what it takes to capture the public's attention about the environment.
Esposito — the executive director of Concerned Citizens for the Environment, a New York-based advocacy group with 80,000 members — could earn the deference of any respectable environmentalist. Her resume includes such achievements: involvement in battles over dredge spoils in Long Island Sound; protection of drinking water; promotion of renewable energy sources; and participation in protests against the infamous and now-mothballed Shoreham nuclear power plant, to name a few.
So when it comes to understanding what can make an issue involving natural resources spread beyond a few concerned activists to ignite the passion of a broad cross-section, Esposito is an expert.
“We do a lot of work on protecting drinking water, and it's harder to get people involved because they can't see the problem,” she said, holding up a glass of clear water over lunch recently at a restaurant on Long Island's North Fork. “In the environmental movement, when it involves some type of visual impact, people get it, and they get involved. It's easily understood. It evokes action and reaction...” Story in full at DAY.
