NY Governor Nixes Port Ambrose LNG Import Terminal

The announcement came a week after the four final hearings-two in Long Beach, two more in New Jersey-on the proposed deepwater port that would have enabled LNG supertankers to make up to 45 deliveries annually.

Environmental activists had pushed Cuomo to reject the Port Ambrose project, warning that it posed a risk to the Atlantic Ocean ecosystem near its proposed location 20 miles off New York’s coast. Under federal deepwater port regulations, the governors of adjacent coastal states have veto power over such deepwater projects.

“We’re surprised and disappointed”, Whelan told Newsday while in London working on another liquefied natural gas port project.

Gov. Cuomo says he vetoed the project because he was concerned about the impact it would have on Long Island’s economy and safety. NYPA submitted the request on behalf of itself, LIPA, and Con Edison, which together form a public-private entity known as the Long Island-New York City Offshore Wind Collaborative.

“The rejection of this project draws a line in the sand that instead of focusing on industrial uses of the ocean, our country and the State of New Jersey should be encouraging the use of renewable energy resources”, Pallone said in a release. And with the help of Governor Cuomo that’s exactly what we are doing today. “Obviously, without the support of the governor, there’s no path forward in NY”.

“This is a victory for the shipping and fishing industries, small businesses, the environment, national security and so much more, most notably democracy”. This project was unneeded, unnecessary and now is no longer going to happen.

Cuomo said there are too many concerns about the project, including potential damage from future storms like Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and potential terrorism.

Christie, who expressed opposition to any facilities for liquefied natural gas off the Jersey Shore during remarks on Earth Day in his first year as governor, later vetoed a similar proposal by Liberty Natural Gas in 2011. “We want to thank Gov. Cuomo for his veto and stopping this unsafe LNG facility”, Tittel said. That project would have been twice the size of the current proposal, and was to be situated 16 miles off Asbury Park.

“Increasingly, Governor Cuomo has demonstrated his commitment to being a leader in the fight to protect our communities from risky pollution and the devastating effects of the climate crisis”, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune said in a statement.

Given those concerns, the company had said the new proposal was created to be located completely offshore, avoid any impact to shoreline wetlands, and avoid sensitive fishery areas and near-shore areas that could affect tourism.