For Immediate Release
Contact: Jeff Tittel, NJ Sierra Club, 609-558-9100
Today the Delaware River Basin Commission have voted to put a stay on the approval of New Fortress Energy’s LNG facility. The vote was 3-1-1. This stay will allow the agency to have more time to review the project and halts any construction. The Delaware River Partners (DRP) Gibbstown Logistics Center project includes a multi-use deep-water seaport and international logistics center currently under development, located at River Mile 86.5 of the Delaware River in Greenwich Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey. Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, released the following statement:
“It’s a win any time you get a delay on a bad project. DRBC a putting stay on the LNG port in Gibbstown allows more time to fight this dangerous and unneeded project. We hope with more time, DRBC will realize how bad this project is and stop it. The stay will allow the Commission to review this complex project and halt any construction before their final approval. This proposal is a massive LNG port that will have major implications to the environment and public safety. New Fortress has been hiding what they have been doing. This entire process has rushed and behind closed doors. We thank the New York, New Jersey and Delaware Commissioners who voted in favor of the stay and to review this complicated project thoroughly.
“New Fortress wanted to start construction on September 30th and this stay will block them from doing so. While a delay is a good thing, we have to continue to fight and stop this project altogether. We can’t just push it down the road. LNG facilities are extremely dangerous to the nearby communities and can have wide-reaching environment consequences. Toxins from the site can leach into the ground from the underground tank. These toxins can threaten the Delaware River which provides drinking water for millions of people in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Since the River is tidal, a spill or explosion could impact our drinking water supply. Sensitive ecosystems like wetlands along with endangered species like the Atlantic sturgeon could also be impacted.
“New Jersey has already filed a lawsuit suing the Trump Administration over a new rule that would allow for the transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by rail. It would only make sense that they would oppose a facility that would be transporting LNG by rail through our communities. New Fortress is looking to bring 100s of bomb trains through our communities and neighborhoods. Some of our train tracks go back before WWI and the Victorian Era are not designed to handle this dangerous cargo. If an accident happens with a train loaded with 22 carts of LNG gas, the explosion magnitude would be equivalent to the atomic bomb at Hiroshima. We are playing with fire. A train derailment carrying LNG will be much worse than what happened in Paulsboro, New Jersey when a tanker derailed and released 23,000 gallons of toxic vinyl chloride gas. A leak from any of those trains could instantly kill everything within 550 yards.
“Puerto Rico has recently rejected LNG in their energy plan. This is a huge setback for New Fortress Energy because their proposed facility in Puerto Rico was supposed to get gas from Gibbstown. This also shows the lack of need for the LNG port in Gibbstown. Puerto Rico does not want LNG and now Ireland recently said that they won’t import LNG. There has been a major price drop for natural gas, and the volatility of the market is causing natural gas companies to lose money. Chesapeake Energy, one of their partners, just declared bankruptcy. This should be a red flag to the DRBC. We should not be jeopardizing the drinking water for millions of people and their public safety to an industry that is being shut down in several countries now.
“This is a terrible project in a terrible place at a terrible time. This is an area is prone to pollution. The Repauno site is made up has already been contaminated over the years and is a Superfund Site. Any type of dredging and construction will resuspend contamination. This would also be the first export terminal approved in New Jersey. The DRBC must do their job and reject this project. The DEP can also deny its water permits and Governor Murphy can put a moratorium on fossil fuel projects. We will fight each agency every step of the way.”