US panel reiterates approval of LNG facility
Fall River mayor vows a lawsuit to block project
A controversial Fall River liquefied natural gas facility moved one step closer to construction yesterday after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission denied opponents' requests for a rehearing.
Fall River's mayor, who has vehemently opposed the proposal to have tankers deliver flammable super-cooled gas to his city, said he will file suit in federal appeals court within 10 days to block the project. Environmentalists also said they will sue.
''It's a terrible precedent for the nation, not only a bad thing for Fall River," said Mayor Edward Lambert. About 9,000 people live or work within one mile of the proposed Weaver's Cove facility, and he fears that a terrorist attack or accident could cause a catastrophe.
Also yesterday, officials of the federal agency reaffirmed their rejection of a proposed
As demand for natural gas skyrockets, four LNG proposals have surfaced in Massachusetts in recent years. The Fall River proposal has generated the greatest controversy so far because it is the only one to have received FERC approval and it is proposed in a densely packed city.
FERC voted 2-1 yesterday to reiterate its original July approval, saying the project met a stringent set of safety standards.
''New England is facing a winter of very high natural gas prices," said Joseph T. Kelliher, the agency's chairman. ''The region sorely needs additional gas supplies and a stronger gas infrastructure."
A spokesman for Weaver's Cove Energy yesterday said he was pleased with the decision. ''The decision by FERC validates its earlier findings that the Weaver's Cove Energy LNG terminal in Fall River is in the public interest and can be operated safely, and securely," said Jim Grasso, the spokesman.
Members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation and state officials criticized the decision and said they will help the city fight the project.
Fall River officials are holding out hope that the preservation of a historic bridge might stop the project. City officials say the Brightman Street Bridge over the Taunton River would have to be demolished to allow tankers through to the proposed facility.
US Representative James McGovern, who opposes the facility, inserted legislation into the federal transportation bill that President Bush signed into law in August to preserve the Brightman Street Bridge.
FERC declined to rule on the opponents' request to deny the project in light of the recent bridge legislation, saying the original approval was not based on removing the bridge and this decision wasn't, either.
