Cuomo Vetoes Port Ambrose LNG: Victory for our Coasts

For Immediate Release

November 12, 2015

Contact Jeff Tittel 609-558-9100

Cuomo Vetoes Port Ambrose LNG: Victory for our Coasts

Today New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo vetoed the proposed Port Ambrose Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility. The LNG facility would have been off Sandy Hook and accepted import shipments of LNG, treat the gas on site, and then connect with the regional pipeline transmission system. The Sierra Club, along with other environmental groups and concerned citizens, have been fighting this project for years. Now we can celebrate the end of it with this veto.

“This is a great victory for the environment and protecting our coasts. We want to thank Governor Cuomo for his veto and stopping this dangerous LNG facility. This project was unneeded, unnecessary and now is no longer going to happen. This project would have had tremendous environmental impacts and even more climate impacts from the burning of natural gas. This veto is not only important to help reduce greenhouse gases but also to promote clean energy,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “We are happy that Governor Cuomo has stepped up to protect our coasts when Governor Christie has not.”

A previous proposal by the company was vetoed by Governor Christie in 2010. This project would have hurt our fisheries, our environment, and put communities at risk. LNG is extremely volatile and dangerous and these ships are almost the size of the Empire State Building. LNG is non-conventional compressed natural gas, super-chilled to 260 degrees and 1/600th its original volume. It is extremely volatile and having this off our coast would present serious environmental and public health and safety challenges. If there were a major disaster or accident with this port, it could have be catastrophic.

“Governor Cuomo has helped to stop this dirty and dangerous facility from threatening the coasts of both New York and New Jersey as well as the communities that live along them. Governor Cuomo also banned fracking in New York which helped prevent fracking waste from coming into New Jersey. Governor Cuomo has supported solar and wind while Governor Christie continues to push for fossil foolishness and even vetoed the ban of fracking waste dumping in New Jersey,” said Jeff Tittel.

Now that the project is vetoed we can use its ideal location to develop offshore wind and move New Jersey towards a clean energy future. Wind energy is renewable, clean, and creates thousands of jobs without the risk of potentially destroying our coast. Offshore wind will provide electricity and jobs to places where it’s needed most. New Jersey has enough wind off our coast to meet future electrical needs. When you combined that with wave energy, energy efficiency and solar New Jersey could be on its way to being renewable.

“This week the federal government auctioned off parcels of the coast for offshore wind development. The veto of this port is another step in the right direction for New Jersey to make the switch from dirty fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy. We can use our coasts for clean wind power that won’t pose a threat to communities or add to climate change,” said Jeff Tittel . “We want windmills off our coasts, not LNG ports.”

We must continue to block projects like Port Ambrose from going forward. LNG adds to greenhouse gas, hurts the environment, and is dangerous. Instead, we can focus on the protecting our oceans and coasts while generating carbon-free energy from solar and wind sources. Stopping this LNG facility is important for New Jersey’s clean energy future.

“We need to take comprehensive approach to planning for our oceans and coastal areas. We must protect environmentally sensitive areas and manage our vital natural resources in a holistic manner. We need to regulate and manage appropriate uses in our coastal waters especially our fisheries. We must ban destructive uses like LNG and off shore drilling, while promoting off shore wind in the right places. The coast belongs to all of us and we must protect it for future generations,” said Jeff Tittel. “This veto of the LNG port was an important step in protecting our oceans and moving towards clean energy.”

In 2011 Governor Christie vetoed a similar proposal by Liberty under adjacent state status under the federal Deepwater Port Act. While Governor Christie stayed silent on Port Ambrose, Governor Cuomo stepped up to protect the people of this region.

“Today Governor Cuomo let Governor Christie off the hook. Now we don’t have to worry if Governor Christie would have vetoed it with his anti-environmental policies.We are glad Governor Cuomo 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, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.“ We can choose whether we will have clean renewable energy, like offshore wind or see the dangerous industrialization of our coast. The choice has never been clearer to protect our oceans from sea level rise and today Governor Cuomo made the right choice by vetoing the Port Ambrose LNG project.”