Next Port Ambrose hearing set for Monday

Environmentalists from the Surfrider Foundation came together on the boardwalk with local officials including Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky, County Legislator Denise Ford and members of the city council to speak out last Saturday against the controversial plan to build a liquefied natural gas import facility 19 miles off the coast of Jones Beach.

Port Ambrose, the facility proposed by Liberty Natural Gas LLC, would consist of a series of underwater pipelines and buoys that would facilitate the processing and pumping of tens of millions of gallons of natural gas through the Transco natural gas pipeline, which runs from South Texas to New York.

Governor Andrew Cuomo will have to make a determination whether or not to veto the project by Dec. 21, and officials say that now is the critical time to speak out against the facility.

The next public hearings on the project are scheduled to be held at the Long Beach Hotel on Nov. 2 and 3 from 6 to 10 p.m. Residents can also call the governor’s office to weigh in on the issue by calling 1-518-474-8390.

The company needs federal and state approval to build the proposed terminal in federal waters, but officials are saying the determination will depend largely on whether Governor Cuomo vetoes the project.

Liberty has argued that the terminal is necessary because of the large demand for natural gas in New York. According to the company’s website, “Port Ambrose will by-pass pipeline bottlenecks to deliver a new supply of competitively priced gas directly into the downstate New York market, helping to moderate fuel prices in the area.”

Opponents, including the city council, have argued that an LNG import facility would negatively affect the ecology, safety and security of the residents, the economy as well as overall quality of life.

“This city council has remained steadfast in its opposition to Port Ambrose,” said council president Len Torres. “We will continue to voice our disapproval of having an LNG terminal off our shore, and we are again calling on Governor Cuomo to veto this project. We must protect the safety of our residents and preserve our environment — we say ‘no’ to Port Ambrose.”