Jim Smith
2008-05-07 07:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

BALTIMORE -

The recent conditional decision by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to permit a liquefied natural gas plant in Sparrows Point/Turner Station runs counter to our interests of protecting public safety, restoring the Chesapeake Bay and preventing terrorism. Plus, it pushes us further away from achieving energy independence. I would like to assure the citizens of Baltimore County and the region that I will continue to stand by the families of eastern Baltimore County in aggressively fighting this threatening and burdensome proposal.  

Are we willing to put thousands of our citizens at risk and allow the disruption that would come from building 87 miles of pipeline through our forests and streams, and next to our highways, homes and schools? Are we willing to gamble that these floating time bombs will go unnoticed by terrorists seeking new targets? Are we willing to rely on FERC in Washington to have the safety and best interests of our people guiding their decision-making process?  I believe the answer to all of those questions is a resounding no!

AES Sparrows Point Inc. LLC, the company proposing this plant, claims LNG can be shipped safely into the Chesapeake Bay — an assertion contradicted by the extreme security measures the FERC report admits would be necessary. What other energy product or cargo is so volatile that it must be moved over our waterways with Coast Guard escorts, gunboats and mandated clearance zones that would bring maritime commerce and recreational boating to a standstill? At all times, LNG ships would need to be protected by gunboats. This sounds like anything but safe transportation to me.

While the purported safety “precautions” may be comforting to AES and FERC, they have not satisfied the Coast Guard and will not satisfy the people of Baltimore County and across the region. AES said, “At all times during transit and once at the facility site — the LNG will be no closer than one mile from populated areas.”  What about boaters and watermen or travelers on the Bay bridges?  What about the workers at the LNG facility? What about the 2,500 workers at the Sparrows Point steel plant? A mile away? Does this mean no new businesses or land uses will be able to locate on the Sparrows Point peninsula? Does that mean approval of the LNG plant has thwarted redevelopment for green businesses and new steel facilities? The fact is that if a terrorist attack or malfunction occurs at any given point of transportation or processing, thousands of lives will be at risk with few, if any, options for safe escape.

AES’ claim that LNG “in its liquid state, cannot explode and does not burn,” is not accurate. The off-loading and conversion process that will occur at Sparrows Point is a potentially dangerous operation. Accidents or terrorist attacks that cause a leak can allow the extremely cold LNG to form “clouds” of vapor that are subject to fire and explosion. These explosions can create a “burn zone,” that may extend up to one and a half miles from the source, and subject people and property to flash burns. Experts cited in a recent Government Accountability Office report could not agree on how far away from an explosion constituted a safe distance. 

AES’ further attempts to mislead the public by suggesting that the plant will help cut energy costs for Marylanders. This is simply untrue. The Sparrows Point plant is but one part of the AES company’s proposal. What they do not mention is that the 87-mile pipeline will require the condemnation of numerous properties by AES before carrying the gas into Pennsylvania for distribution to the mid-Atlantic and New England markets. 

From a national perspective, it is clear and quite disturbing that this rush by energy companies to build almost 20 LNG plants in the United States will move this country to even greater energy dependence on more and more foreign sources. The United States now imports about 5 percent of its natural gas from foreign companies. If all the proposed LNG facilities under review by the federal government are approved, that dependence will increase to 20 percent! 

Following such a shortsighted direction will subject us to the future whims of more countries that can use yet another energy source to manipulate our economy and hit our pocketbooks.

Jim Smith, a Democrat, is Baltimore County executive.