Long Beach Vows Public LNG Disclosure

As the California Public Utilities Commission battles the federal government over licensing authority for Sound Energy Solutions? proposed liquefied natural gas terminal in Long Beach, city officials insist they will not let the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission interfere with any required public disclosures under the California Environmental Quality Act. ?We will make all disclosures necessary under CEQA, including safety information,? said Dominick Holzhaus, Long Beach deputy city attorney. ?If we feel we cannot meet our obligations under state law due to FERC rules, the project will not go forward.? The city?s commitment comes in response to the possibility that FERC?s Critical Energy Infrastructure Information rules may restrict public access to some documents concerning the proposed terminal, including a study that would shed light on the consequences of any catastrophic breach of an LNG tanker ship while in the harbor. Holzhaus said that as the lead agency on the proposed project by Sound Energy, a Mitsubishi subsidiary, Long Beach will fully analyze the safety of the terminal operation in the course of its state-mandated environmental analysis. He added that the safety analysis will be covered in publicly available documents. Meanwhile, a group of some 30 environmental and community organizations meeting earlier this week voiced support for the CPUC and the efforts of officials in California to play a major role in addressing the safety and environmental concerns raised by LNG terminals, according to Don May, who heads Earth Corps, which has been active on the proposed terminal in Long Beach. Last week, FERC said it, not the CPUC, has dominant authority over LNG siting (see Circuit , March 26, 2004). Environmentalists worry that Washington, D.C., regulators will not have the same sensitivity to California?s environment that state regulators might have. Among the key issues, he said, is how overall harbor operations in Long Beach will have to be modified to ensure the safety of LNG tanker ships. Assemblymember Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), who represents the port area, is monitoring developments related to the proposed terminal, said an aide.

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Long Beach Vows Public LNG Disclosure

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