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The raging debate about Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) as an alternative to oil based energy
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LNG Review Imminent:
By Tameka Lundy -
Nassau, Bahamas:



The United States government intends at the end of the week to open a 45-day public comment period for statements on the Calypso LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) Deepwater Port planned for ten miles off the east coast of Florida.

They are also expected to release a Final Environmental Impact Statement, as sentiments here about LNG continue to be split.

The raging debate about LNG as an alternative to oil based energy has dragged on for quite some time. Meanwhile, consumers continue to complain about the near intolerable cost burdens caused by the ever-mounting oil prices on the international market.

Oil prices tumbled Wednesday to $134.24 a barrel in morning trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange in what was said to be the biggest one-day drop in dollar terms since the Gulf War.

Calypso LNG proposes to own, construct and operate a deepwater port named Calypso just off the east cost of Florida. The company has deemed the proposed Calypso Deepwater Port (DWP) a safe and environmentally-friendly project that would provide a much-needed new supply of natural gas for South Florida.

Under the plan, the ships and the underwater buoy and anchoring system would be located approximately 8 to 10 miles offshore of Broward County northeast of Port Everglades in the Bahamas lease area. LNG would be turned back into gas onboard the ships, replacing the need for a land-based facility.

Lt. Hannah Kim of the United States Coast Guard told the Bahama Journal yesterday that the FEIS will be released on Friday, thereby opening the 45 day public comment period which would last until September 2, 2008.

Asked whether comments would be accepted from outside the United States, she said perhaps, since officials are seeking input from anyone who believes that they would be impacted by the project in any way.

The proposed action requiring environmental review is the federal licensing of the proposed deepwater port. US authorities can approve the requested licensing for the port; license it with conditions (including conditions designed to mitigate environmental impact) or deny the application.

The Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration are the lead Federal agencies for the preparation of the EIS.

Last month, Dan McGinnis, project manager of the Calypso LNG Deepwater Port, sought to allay fears that the project could pose a danger to the safety of local residents.

"Nothing could be further from the truth," he wrote in an opinion piece. "The misinformation and scare tactics of a small group of project opponents should not be allowed to overcome the facts. And the fact is, the proposed project is tested, safe and offers great promise that will benefit all of South Florida."

He referred to independent studies by the US Coast Guard that show that any potential risk posed by the port – however improbable – could not come anywhere close or have any effect on populations on the coast.

In the Bahamas, there continues to be staunch opposition in some quarters to LNG.

A recent revelation from an executive of the AES Corporation that the company had also committed to build the pipeline that would supply the Bahamas Electricity Corporation with natural gas stoked the flames of debate once again.

The AES Corporation has proposed to build an LNG plant at Ocean Cay – a manmade cay off Bimini.

The Ingraham Administration initially approved the proposal during its second term in office between 1997 and 2002, but the project met with stiff opposition from both the residents on Ocean Cay and environmental lobby ‘reEarth,’ led by Sam Duncombe.

In the last few weeks, the National Energy Policy Committee submitted a draft report to the government on its progress on the development of a national energy policy for The Bahamas. Part of the thrust in energy policy, for consecutive administrations, has been to make use of renewable energy sources.

July 17, 2008

July 17, 2008 | 12:03 PM Comments  0 comments

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