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Gold/Mining/Energy : LNG -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Dennis Roth who wrote (109)	6/19/2004 9:07:09 AM
From: Dennis Roth	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 919

Feds approve LNG project thefacts.com By Michael Baker The Facts Published June 19, 2004 QUINTANA — Developers of a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal on the island cleared on Friday their largest obstacle in getting their plant built. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued an order Friday granting Freeport LNG the authority to construct and operate the terminal. The decision comes after months of studies, public meetings and the issuance of an environmental impact statement of more than 500 pages. “The conditions are the same as was in the final environmental impact statement, so we’re delighted,” said Bill Henry, Freeport LNG’s vice president of marketing. “This puts us right on target for fall construction.” Conditions include Freeport LNG mitigating wetlands displaced by the facility, monitoring whether birds fly into its tanks and replacing Xeriscape Park, a popular birding destination. Freeport LNG and Quintana already have reached an agreement on the relocation of the park. There are 12 other LNG proposals pending before the commission, according to commission spokeswoman Tamara Young-Allen. The facility will import LNG by massive tankers and ship natural gas to local industry via pipeline. Proponents have said it will help ease massive energy costs for local industry, and both ConocoPhillips and Dow Chemical Co. have signed on as customers. Opponents, some of whom have homes in Quintana, have voiced concerns about safety aspects of the industry, particularly if it was chosen as a terrorist target. Prior to FERC’s approval, the facility had gotten clearance from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to operate under the State Implementation Plan, Henry said. The FERC report on air quality came a day after a study by Environmental Defense found pollution from commercial marine vessels in the Houston area, which are not restricted in the Houston-area pollution plan, cause the same amount of pollution as 288,000 cars. The FERC report shows construction and operation of the LNG plant will add about a ton of nitrogen oxide emissions to the air per day, said Ramon Alvarez, a scientist with Environmental Defense. FERC concludes it won’t impact the pollution plan. Freeport LNG still has a few more permits to secure, Henry said. It needs to get an air permit through the commission, which Henry said should happen in August. It also needs a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which also could happen in August, he said. If construction begins in the fall, the facility could begin operations in 2007, Freeport LNG officials have said. “We’re looking forward to building this thing and being a part of the community down there,” Henry said. Facts reporter Michael Wright contributed to this report. Michael Baker covers business and industry for The Facts. Contact him at (979) 237-0150.