Congressman Barney Frank
Representing Massachusetts' 4th District

Congressmen Urge FERC to Reconsider LNG Facility
June 5, 2008  

U.S. Congressmen Barney Frank and James P. McGovern today urged the Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to reconsider its approval of the proposed Weaver’s Cove LNG facility in light of the project’s major new design modifications. Weaver's Cove Energy LLC has offered an alternative plan for its proposed LNG project near Fall River, Massachusetts that would include constructing an offshore port in Mount Hope Bay to allow tankers to unload LNG into a four-mile pipeline towards its proposed facility in Fall River. The new plan would entail LNG tankers docking at the proposed berth, and Weaver's Cove anticipates receiving up to 70 tankers per year at the berth in Mount Hope Bay, which is a heavily traveled body of water. Weaver's Cove has dramatically modified its proposed LNG facility in response to the Coast Guard’s determination that the proposed site is unsafe due to navigational hazards.

“As a result of appropriate decisions by Congress, and the Coast Guard, the current LNG proposal is very different from the one originally approved by the FERC,” said Frank. “Out of respect for the process and the City of Fall River, I strongly request that the FERC reopen this matter and conduct a full and thorough review.”

“This latest bad idea – to put a pipeline under Mount Hope Bay – is not a minor modification to the original LNG proposal,” Rep. McGovern said. “Given these large-scale changes, I believe that FERC must fully reconsider this project.”

A copy of the Congressman’s letter to FERC Chairman Joseph Kelliher is attached.

 

 

June 2, 2008

The Honorable Joseph T. Kelliher
Chairman
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20426 

Dear Chairman Kelliher:

We are writing to strongly request that the Commission reconsider its approval of the Weaver's Cove LNG project, which was approved on January 23, 2006.  Since its approval, Weaver’s Cove has filed yet another major modification that deserves the FERC’s full reconsideration to determine whether it still meets the Commission's standards for public safety, environmental protection, and whether it is consistent with the public interest.

Weaver's Cove Energy LLC filed documents with the Commission for an alternative plan for its proposed LNG project near Fall River, Massachusetts that would include constructing an offshore port in Mount Hope Bay that would allow tankers to unload LNG into a four-mile pipeline towards its proposed facility in Fall River. The new plan would entail LNG tankers docking at the proposed berth, and Weaver's Cove anticipates receiving up to 70 tankers per year at the berth in Mount Hope Bay, which is a heavily traveled body of water. Increasing vessel traffic in this already congested area would be an accident waiting to happen.

This new ill-advised plan would also require extensive and damaging dredging of the Taunton River. The proposed pipeline will travel from Mount Hope Bay through the Taunton River. Congress is currently considering legislation to include Taunton River as part of the Department of Interior’s National Wild and Scenic Rivers program. The Department of Interior has already determined that dredging associated with the proposed LNG facility is inconsistent with Wild and Scenic designation and that the proposed dredging will not be permitted. A number of leading maritime authorities including the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (MDMF) have consistently raised concerns about the scope and extent of dredging associated with this project and placing a pipeline on the river bed further exacerbates the harmful impacts of this project.

We believe that the commission must address these important and vital environmental concerns before it proceeds with any further action related to this project. We therefore urge the Commission to reconsider the Weaver's Cove project in light of these new modifications and determine if the Commission's standards of project safety, security, and the public interest will be met.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. We look forward to your response.

 

Sincerely,

Congressman Barney Frank and Congressman James P. McGovern