National Park Service may block LNG

By John McDaid | Tuesday, 18 May 2010

The National Park Service (NPS) fired a shot across the bow of LNG tanker plans (figuratively, of course) in a letter sent to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) last week challenging the environmental impact to the Taunton River, which was classified last year under the Federal "Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (WSRA)."

"As the responsible agency under the WSRA, the NPS will evaluate the potential Weavers Cove energy proposal," said NPS Director Jonathan Jarvis is a letter to FERC, "I am concerned that the Department of the Interior will be unable to find this project consistent with the Taunton Wild and Scenic River designation."

It may be couched in the dry bureaucratese of an interagency tiff, but the end result is a big hill to climb for Weavers Cove: their environmental impact statement is now going to have to satisfy the requirements of the WSRA.

Thanks to Rep. Ray Gallison for passing along the good news and the attached PDF. Read and enjoy.

Tags: 
Localblogging, 02871

Comments

ELCAPITAN

Tue, 05/18/2010 - 9:16am

Thanks to all who continue to fight this battle.

It seems that Weaver Cove Energy group will continue to fight to get LNG in our backyards no matter what the cost.

Why? Because, ultimately, the energy company will pass on all its legal costs to the rate payer. It is unfortunate that the only people who ever win in these things in the lawyers. We get to pay for the lawyers on BOTH sides! UUGH!

Maddie_C

Thu, 05/20/2010 - 2:13pm

Hi ElCapitan.

Yes, I'm a lawyer and yes, I suppose I'm being sensitive here. But, it's just not fair to resent the good honest hard working people who are doing nothing more than their jobs.

Seriously, your sentiment could be leveled at anybody: For example, think of all the defense spending that happens right here on Aquidneck Island. The government spends that money whether we are at war or not. One could shrug their shoulders and say, "the only people who ever win in these things in the engineers!"

How about doctors: They get paid whether you survive your illness or not. So I suppose you would say, "the only people who ever win in these things in the doctors!"

The truth is that doctors get paid, engineers get paid and lawyers get paid. No one works for free.

So who "wins"? From doctors, we all win by having a health care system. From engineers, we all win by having a strong military. From lawyers, we all win by having a nation of laws.

So if you're sick, you see a doctor and you don't resent paying them for doing their job. If you want military defense technology, you hire engineers and you don't resent paying them for doing their job. If you want to keep Weaver's Cove Energy from forcing an LNG platform facility in the middle of Mount Hope Bay, you hire lawyers and you don't resent paying them for doing their job.

Viking

Fri, 05/21/2010 - 10:07am

Maddie_C - I could not agree with you more. For sure, there may be excessive litigiousness in society today - but I like to say "You can't have a society based on the rule of law without lawyers." Like Churchill said of Democracy: Its the worst system there is - except compared to anything else.