Freeholders decline rebuke of LNG pipeline

On December 16, 2010, the Middlesex County Chosen Freeholders took reconsideration of their own criticism of the planned regional liquefied natural gas (LNG) pipeline.

While the development of new LNG pipelines throughout New Jersey continues to receive considerable opposition, from environmentalists to the governor's office, officials decided that they have no direct authority over the project proposed for several east-county towns, and voted against adopting a resolution of opposition.

Liberty Natural Gas is currently working to obtain a permit through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) allowing construction, ownership and operation of an interstate LNG pipeline, as well as a license to operate a deepwater offshore port facility for importing LNG via central New Jersey.

The company reported that they have entered negotiations and discussions with stakeholders, including residents, organizations and various regulators. While this entire process can be long and tedious, Liberty Natural Gas hopes to obtain the FERC certificate as well as other necessary authorizations in order to begin construction in April of 2012.

Organizations such as Clean Ocean Action and Food and Water Watch have created petitions and encouraged officials to take a stand against permitting its construction, and had celebrated the county's November draft of a resolution that urged Liberty Natural Gas to "redesign its proposal . . . to avoid construction of a 36” high-pressure LNG pipeline through densely populated residential and industrial portions of Middlesex County."

LNG is natural gas that has been converted into cryogenic liquid form for easier transport and storage. Direct contact with the extreme cold can cause damage or injury; a spill or leak of the highly flammable LNG can result in massive fires and explosions, as demonstrated this past September when an LNG pipeline leak in San Bruno, California created an explosion that left seven people dead, 52 injured, and dozens of homes destroyed. Similarly, in 1994, when an LNG pipeline located in Edison, New Jersey was accidentally pierced, several apartment buildings were destroyed, killing one person and leaving over one hundred more homeless.

As Freeholder Director Christopher D. Rafano stated, Perth Amboy, Woodbridge, Carteret and Linden are responsible for making the decision on approving the project. While the county resolution would have provided a voice for the residents of Middlesex County who have concerns regarding the project, freeholders described their about-face as providing those towns with the opportunity to discuss and consider the issue themselves.

Bill Schultz of Raritan Riverkeeper expressed disappointed with the recission. “I’m worried that the financial end will overshadow the public safety concerns [of this issue]” Schultz stated. Cindy Zipf of Clean Ocean Action also spoke at the meeting, sharing concerns about the safety issues surrounding this project for New Jersey’s residents, and for local habitat and wildlife, as well.

Citing a study by her organization, Zipf testified that industrializing the ocean through the development of an LNG offshore port facility will substantially threaten New Jersey’s fishing and tourist industries, as well as New Jersey’s marine environment and endangered species, including turtles and whales

And while the specific project is local to the New Jersey clean ocean zone, LNG is a fossil fuel, typically imported (primarily from Russia and the Middle East). Stating that LNG is more expensive than domestic natural gas, Zipf urged Freeholders that allowing the construction of these proposed pipelines “does not help energy independence[.]”