FALL RIVER -- A meeting in Washington, D.C., yesterday fueled city official's efforts to prevent the development of a liquefied natural gas import facility proposed at the site of the former Shell Oil Refinery.
Mayor Edward M. Lambert Jr. said the Fall River delegation told two Federal Energy Regulation Commission officials about concerns including the potential safety risk and environmental and economic impacts on the city.
If approved, the $200 million facility would take in liquefied natural gas (mostly methane) from tankers and keep it refrigerated at below 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The cold temperature keeps the gas in liquid form so it's easy to store. The LNG would then be unloaded onto trucks or delivered via pipeline.
The terminal would be the fifth of its kind in the United States. The four existing terminals are in Everett, Mass., Maryland, Louisiana, and on the West Coast. The facility was proposed by Weaver's Cove, a New York company, which currently says it could open by 2007.
The project requires the approval of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, as well as a host of state agencies.
Key FERC decision-maker Mark Robinson was present at the meeting with Fall River officials, Lambert said. Robinson, director of the FERC office of energy projects, will make a recommendation to the FERC commissioners as to whether the project should be approved.
Robinson gave the group a sense of which arguments will carry the greatest weight with FERC, Lambert said.
"What was good, I think, was that the city got a lot of ammunition," said Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank, who joined the delegation yesterday. "I think the city is in a very good position."
Frank and Lambert both focused on the project's "exclusion zone," an area around the facility that must be free of houses and businesses. The exact scope of the zone has not yet been outlined, and will depend on the precise design of the facility, Lambert said.
Currently, Weaver's Cove has been trying to buy houses around the proposed site, Lambert said. If the company is unable to purchase the property around the old refinery, the houses could be a roadblock to the facility.
Lambert also said he focused on issues including environmental justice. "From our perspective," he said, "we've paid our dues." He said the city already houses the state's largest landfill, and sits across the river from two of the state's most-polluting power plants.
Further, he said, the city's fire chief and police chief expressed their concerns about the safety of the facility.
From an economic standpoint, Lambert argued that the large tankers could stunt the development of the city's waterfront, making Fall River a less attractive port for cruise ships. Truck travel to the terminal could also hinder the city's ability to convert Route 79 to a pedestrian-friendly boulevard.
The meeting included Police Chief John M. Souza, Fire Chief Edward J. Dawson, City Councilor Ann M. O'Neil-Souza and City Council president Joseph D. Camara. Local environmental activist Al Lima of Green Futures also joined them. Congressman James McGovern also attended the meeting.
The meeting was not a formal part of the approval process, but was scheduled by Frank to give local officials an extra opportunity to voice their opposition to the facility.
FERC officials would not speak about the content of the meeting. FERC does not comment on pending cases, according to spokeswoman Tamara Young-AllenHowever, Lambert said he and the other officials gained important information from FERC, and learned that they do not need to wait until FERC asks for formal input to submit information to the agency. As such, the mayor said he will be creating a task force to oppose the site. The group will include those who traveled to the conference. The task force will start preparing their opposition to the project, Lambert said.
"I think we learned today that they take us very seriously," said Camara.
Jessica Resnick-Ault can be contacted by phone at 508-674-8401 or by e-mail at JRAult(at)projo.com.
