The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), along with other environmental organizations and with a large public support, has submitted a letter to the U.S. Maritime Administration in response to the agency’s request for public comments on a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) project off the coast of New Jersey and New York.
Namely, Liberty Natural Gas proposes to construct, own and operate the Port Ambrose deepwater port and an LNG terminal in the New York Bight, approximately 17 nautical miles southeast of Jones Beach, New York and 24 nautical miles east of Long Branch, New Jersey.
NRDC opposes the Port Ambrose LNG project because an offshore wind project has been proposed for the same area in the ocean. In the letter, the organization said the following:
“The federal government, New York State and New Jersey should reject the Port Ambrose LNG facility if, as current evidence indicates, the facility would prevent or substantially complicate movement forward on what could be New York State’s first offshore wind project. The United States, New York State and the region should be working together to build a clean energy future dominated by renewable energy. It would be the height of irony – and a damaging energy policy – to privilege the construction of a fossil fuel import facility over a much-needed and overdue renewable offshore wind facility that represents a cleaner, healthier future for our children and future generations of New Yorkers.”
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Offshore WIND Staff, August 27, 2013; Image: Clean Ocean Action