U.S. House Subcommittee Hearing Focuses on Broadwater Safety and Security

Newsday reports that, at a hearing of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation held yesterday in Farmingville, N.Y., witness testimony centered on safety and security issues surrounding the Broadwater LNG terminal proposed for Long Island Sound. Following the hearing, two lawmakers, Rep. Tim Bishop (D-NY) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), remained unconvinced that the project’s plans dealt with safety and security issues sufficiently. However, a Broadwater official appearing before the subcommittee said that “[t]he safety and security of the adjacent communities, other users of the Sound and the facility is of the highest priority to Broadwater.” The New York State Senate plans to convene a hearing on these issues next month.

In its testimony before the Subcommittee, the GAO discussed its recent report on research into the effects of an LNG spill incident. The GAO concluded that, because current research has created “what appears to be conflicting assessments of the specific heat consequences” of an LNG accident, “[a]dditional research to resolve some key areas of uncertainty could benefit federal agencies responsible for making informed decisions when approving LNG terminals and…providing reliable information to citizens concerned about public safety.”