US is urged to delay action on LNG ports

GLOUCESTER -- About a dozen frustrated fishermen, environmentalists, and local politicians urged federal officials last night to postpone their decision on whether to allow two proposed liquefied natural gas ports off the coast of Gloucester.

Officials made no comment on the request. Officials from the US Coast Guard and the US Maritime Administration said last night that they will take written comments until Dec. 26. Federal officials are scheduled to make their final decision in early February.

Environmentalists said they fear that huge LNG tankers would strike and kill North Atlantic right whales in the area, decimating a species that has an estimated population of about 350. Fishermen, who have had their quotas slashed so that depleted stocks can rebuild, said they would be put out of business because proposed security zones around the projects would shut them out of rich fishing grounds.

Other speakers from among the roughly 50 residents who attended said they were outraged they had little time to review a complex environmental impact report of more than 1,000 pages, released Oct. 27, before last night's hearing at Gloucester High School.

"This project is a death knell to this town and its industries," said James Craig, 32, a Gloucester resident and curator of the Cape Ann Historical Museum. "I am disgusted it has gone this far."

The hearing was the first in a final round of public sessions on a proposal by Excelerate Energy LLC, which along with Neptune LNG wants to build one station each roughly 13 miles off Gloucester. A hearing is slated for tonight at 6 p.m. at Salem State College on the Excelerate plan. A Nov. 14 hearing is slated in Gloucester on Neptune's proposal.

Rob Bryngelson, Excelerate's chief operating officer, said the company has been largely rebuffed, especially by fishermen, in repeated attempts to meet with critics. "We have met with everyone who would meet with us and listened to everyone's concerns," Bryngelson said.