For Immediate Release
February 8, 2011 Contact Jeff Tittel, 609-558-9100
Governor Protects New Jersey's Coast Christie Vetoes the Liberty LNG Project
Today Governor Christie took strong steps against the proposed Liberty Liquified Natural Gas project to be constructed off the coast of Asbury Park by vetoing the proposal under adjacent state status under the federal Deepwater Port Act.
"We think this is a good decision by the Governor. This is the wrong project in the wrong place. Not only will this facility bring in more fossil fuel, but it will undercut New Jersey's progress toward a renewable energy future. By placing the pipeline in the most densely populated communities in New Jersey this jeopardizes the public safety of these residents. Many of these areas are environmental justice communities and already have an overburden of pollution," said Jeff Tittel, Director NJ Sierra Club.
The pipeline needed for the project in current configuration would stretch from Asbury Park to Linden. This is the part of New Jersey that is the most densely populated. There is air pollution from these facilities that adds to pollution in these environmental justice communities that already suffer from too much pollution. Not only would this project produce more pollution in those communities and cause further environmental damage, but risks public safety by putting people in harms way.
This project would be sited in an ideal location for offshore wind, and the veto today helps New Jersey move toward a clean energy future over promoting continued fossil fuel use. Also any LNG facility constructed in the United States today could potentially be used to export natural gas produced through hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus Shale region, given the current surplus domestic supply. This project is not necessary as there is a glut of domestic natural gas. The proposed project would import gas from Tunisia and Libya.
"We are glad the Governor vetoed this project and thank him for doing it. This is a great place to put offshore wind and New Jersey should have windmills off the coast, not fossil fuel facilities," said Jeff Tittel.
Nicole Dallara, Outreach Coordinator NJ Sierra Club 145 W. Hanover Street Trenton, NJ 08618 609.656.7612 (f) 609.656.7618
- Download full text: 0208_Gov_vetoes_LNG.doc