Close to one hundred people gathered at the Legislative Office Building in Albany to kick off a day of lobbying in opposition to the Broadwater Energy project proposed for the Long Island Sound.
"Broadwater has shown that it will not solve Long Island’s energy needs. In fact, Broadwater is a potential environmental hazard which could erase all the strides we have made cleaning up the Sound. The time has come for us to join forces and say no to this proposal. Let no New Yorker’s voice who cares about Long Island and the Sound, be silent regarding the folly of Broadwater," said Senator Carl Marcellino (R, Syosset)
Broadwater, a joint venture between Shell Oil and TransCanada is seeking to build a gigantic Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) barge in the Long Island Sound. This barge would be 1200 feet long, 180 feet wide and it would store 8 billion cubic feet of natural gas. This floating facility would be the first of its kind anywhere in the world.
"Diverse community members and environmental leaders are all unified in opposition to Broadwater. The people want to be heard by the people’s Governor. We are asking the Governor to help us protect our treasured waterway, to find an alternative to Broadwater," stated Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment. "We cannot allow Shell Oil to steamroll their way to take over our Long Island Sound"
"New York and Connecticut have the power to recommend, create and implement thoughtful energy policies that protect Long Island Sound for future generations AND take us to a sustainable, energy efficient future-- Broadwater will do neither," said Leah Schmalz, director of legislative and legal affairs for Save the Sound, a program of Connecticut Fund for the Environment. "Instead of focusing on Shell's false promises of yearly savings, we should do more to invest in the real projects that will save rate-payers money on their electric bills; cost-effective conservation, efficiency and renewable programs."
"In order to fully understand the economic impact of Broadwater, New Yorkers need to account for the hidden cost to local and state governments for security," said Jason K. Babbie, Senior Environmental Policy Analyst for the New York Public Interest Reserach Group. "Even if there is a positive economic impact from increased natural gas supply, it does not mean a LNG storage facility in Long Island Sound is the best place, which is why an alternatives analysis is critical for adequate review."
"The Sierra Club is strongly opposed to the Broadwater Energy Project as a major threat to the ecology of Long Island Sound. The State needs to emphasize energy conservation and renewable energy initiatives in planning for energy needs and at the same time protecting our environment," said Susan Lawrence, Conservation Chair, Sierra Club.
