Connecticut Governor Rell Joins Long Island Sound Task Force to Release Report Condemning Broadwater Project

March 13, 2008 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today joined the members of her Long Island Sound Liquefied Natural Gas Task Force to publicly release their report condemning the proposed Broadwater project, which would place an enormous floating industrial platform in the New York waters of the Sound.

“This Task Force has looked at Broadwater with far clearer eyes than federal regulators,” Governor Rell said. “I formed this panel by Executive Order and directed them to study the project and review decisions by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). That is exactly what they have done – and what they have found is that Broadwater is an environmental disaster in the making, propelled by FERC despite a wealth of alternatives that would likely cost less and cause far less damage.

“Recently I have been spending a great deal of time hoping to persuade New York Governor Spitzer to scuttle this project,” the Governor said. “I am turning my attentions now to incoming Governor David Paterson. New York state agencies have a number of important decisions to make in the coming months, and any one of them could stop Broadwater cold. It is my sincere hope that they will. Governor Paterson will be getting a personal copy of my Task Force’s report right away.”

Governor Rell established the Task Force through Executive Order No. 9 in August 2005. The panel included state lawmakers, agency chiefs, local leaders and members of the public. It reviewed hundreds of documents, held 16 public hearings and concluded that FERC never performed a serious analysis of Broadwater’s potential environmental consequences and, limited its review of alternatives to by adopting unrealistic standards. The group also concluded that alternatives to Broadwater will likely be meeting the energy needs of both Connecticut and New York before the Broadwater project is ever completed and on line.

Co-Chairs of the panel were Senators Len Fasano of North Haven and Andrea Stillman of Waterford. Members of the Task Force were Commissioners Gina McCarthy of the Department of Environmental Protection; Dr. J. Robert Galvin, M.D., of the Department of Health, F. Philip Prelli of the Department of Agriculture, John A. Danaher III of the Department of Public Safety, James Thomas of the Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and Emil H. Frankel of the Department of Transportation; Julie Belaga; Sue Eckert; Grant Westerson; Robert Mitchell; and Martin Toyen.

Source: Connecticut Governor

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