By JEFF LIPTON
The Atlantic Sea Island Group (ASIG) has proposed building a $2 billion, 63-acre island to be used as a port facility for the mass conversion of liquefied natural gas to natural gas. The proposal requires U.S. Coast Guard approval, which could come by the end of 2009. Construction could begin six months after that.
Opponents have called on the Long Beach City Council to pass a resolution condemning plans for the island to store the liquefied natural gas, or LNG, which is cooled to minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit. They also urged Gov. David Paterson to use his veto powers to defeat the proposal.
They cite environmental concerns, since the LNG would be transported by large tankers, which would dock at the offshore facility. The LNG would then be converted to natural gas and transported inland by undersea pipelines. ASIG would charge gas companies a fee to use the island terminal.
“This could be extremely injurious and cause a great deal of pollution,” said Chris Wade, chairman of the New York City chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, an environmental group that focuses on protecting ocean waters. “These tanker ships are three football fields long, and to industrialize the local waters could make it a burial ground for sea life.”
Wade added that an island used for storage and conversion of LNG could be a security risk, becoming vulnerable to a potential terrorist attack. “It's also extremely dangerous if there is a spill or a leak,” he said.
Wade explained that LNG has no color or odor, which makes it practically undetectable, and a concentration of 17 percent of the substance could begin to asphyxiate people. A boat engine, a cell phone or a lit cigarette could ignite the gas if it were spilled, he said, leading to a potential catastrophe.
Wade said that ASIG has proposed building the terminal offshore to head off any opposition. “Out of sight, out of mind,” he said. “This way it's easier to pass it through.”
But Howard Bovers, chairman of ASIG, strongly denied that the project would have any adverse effects on the environment. “It will not interfere with surfing, swimming or wave action,” Bovers said, adding that ASIG also plans to create a fish sanctuary.
He said that there is a desperate need for a clean-burning fuel such as LNG over the next 20 years. “We're trying to plug a hole for the supply for 30 million families in the New York metropolitan area,” Bovers said. He added that a 3 billion BTU energy shortage would exist until the year 2020.
Bovers said that five other LNG terminals have been proposed, but they have run into difficulties. “Those projects are in the wrong location,” he said. “We're in the right location. We're doing everything we can to make sure that this is an environmentally sound project.
“There will be no issue with emissions and no impact. We're not burning garbage. There should be no concern on the part of Long Beach residents.”
Bovers said he has spoken with congressional leaders, and been told that an island LNG terminal would not be listed among 800 potential terrorist targets in New York because it would be so far offshore. “And if there's a gas leak, it will go up in the air and dissipate,” Bovers said.
An existing pipeline would be tapped into five miles off shore, he said, in an effort to put to rest rumors that the streets of Long Beach would be dug up.
The ASIG chairman also said that the project would create 50 to 60 jobs, and would mean 6 million man-hours of labor to build the island over a five-year period. “It will mean a lot of tax revenue,” Bovers said. “It will bring a lot to the economy, at a time when we need projects like this.”
A tanker would come into the terminal every three days, and take two days to unload its supply, he explained. The LNG would then be stored in four large tanks on the island before being converted to natural gas and then sent through the undersea pipeline to companies such as KeySpan.
Daniel Bobis, a lifelong Long Beach resident, said he found out about the proposal about 10 months ago during an informational meeting hosted by Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg (D-Long Beach) at City Hall, which was attended by ASIG representatives who explained the proposal. “They presented one side,” Bobis said of ASIG. “It was their sales pitch to the community,”
Weisenberg said that when ASIG first announced plans for the artificial island, he was skeptical. “But given our environmental needs and the economy, I'm impressed with their presentation,” he said. “I'm saying that it should be something that should be considered. I'm not endorsing the project, but I am endorsing the concept of cleaner and more efficient resources for the community and a cleaner environment.”
Weisenberg said he was not at all worried about safety issues. “I want people to know about it so they have an opportunity to decide for themselves,” he said. “Draw your own conclusions.”
Bobis said the project has drawn a step closer to becoming a reality since ASIG reportedly raised additional private financing for the proposal in late October. He noted that the site of the proposed island is the only naturally occurring reef in the region, and serves as a sanctuary for marine life.
In addition, Bobis said, a hurricane or unusually big waves could lead to disaster. “Who knows if the island could withstand it?” he said. “It's filled with poison.” And if it couldn’t, he added, “It would be an unmitigated disaster, an ocean of flames.”
City Councilwoman Mona Goodman said that according to an informal poll, council members were opposed to the ASIG plan. “I can't imagine that it would be a good thing for the city of Long Beach,” Goodman said. “I think the safety of residents of the barrier island would be my main concern.”
Comments about this story? JLipton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 213.
