The state is formally asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to rehear and reconsider its approval of the proposed Broadwater Liquefied Natural Gas facility in Long Island Sound.
Connecticut’s petition asks FERC to fix fatal flaws in its approval, including failure to consider safer alternatives with less environmental impact that provide as much or more natural gas and reliance on an incomplete and deeply defective environmental analysis. There is no deadline for FERC to rule.
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal expects FERC to deny the state’s request. Once it does, the state can file an appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals, Blumenthal said.
Blumenthal said in a statement: “On the brink of full-scale legal war, we’re urging FERC to correct itself and sink Broadwater before the courts order it. Our formal petition asks FERC to do it over — reconsider and rehear its dismally flawed decision approving Broadwater and failing to consider better, bigger, safer alternatives. We’re obligated by law to give FERC another last chance to get it right before a court rules they’ve done it wrong. FERC can gracefully retreat or face furious legal conflict and likely defeat. FERC must sink this project or sink itself with Broadwater.”
The state’s appeal also charges that FERC failed to take into consideration that the Coast Guard cannot protect Broadwater, a floating gas-filled barge the length of four football fields, and huge supplying tankers from terrorist attacks or accidents. It also accuses FERC of improperly approving the project before New York state has ruled on whether it complies with that state’s coastal zone management law.
