Senators Want Broadwater to Meet Application Requirements; Seek More Open Process

The Chairmen of the Long Island Sound Liquefied Natural Gas Task Force, State Senators Len Fasano
(R-North Haven) and Andrea Stillman (D-Waterford), have authored a series of letters to various federal and state officials in response to Broadwater Energy’s recently filed application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). In the application, Broadwater requested a waiver of “any and all” requirements in an effort to expedite its permits. Senators Fasano and Stillman wrote to the Secretary of FERC, Magalie R. Salas, requesting that such requirements not be waived.

“Our Task Force has been diligently investigating any potential impact the Broadwater facility may have on Connecticut and its citizens. It is our understanding that we may comment on the current application and it is possible that we may also apply for intervener status,” said Senator Fasano. “So I find it disconcerting that Broadwater is requesting to bypass certain requirements so their application can get processed quicker. That’s why we are gong directly to FERC and formally requesting that these requirements not be waived.”

“We strongly object to Broadwater’s overt attempt to force a rush-to-judgment on its application for this ominous transfer and storage facility on Long Island Sound in part because a threat of this magnitude to the aesthetic, environmental, navigation, and other commercial benefits of the Sound deserves careful, deliberate, and thorough analysis,” Senator Stillman said. “We also object to any effort to fast-track this application because it flies in the face of a critically-needed, comprehensive energy plan for the entire northeastern U.S.”

In separate letters, the Senators have also asked both FERC Secretary Salas and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to allow the Task Force to examine the entire Broadwater file, including information previously marked as Sensitive Security Information (SSI).

“Considering this is the first facility of its kind in Long Island Sound, it is only proper that the application process be as open and transparent as possible. The people of Connecticut as well as New York deserve no less,” added Senator Fasano.

“With regard to the justifiable security concerns generated by Broadwater’s application it’s simply too easy to envision a bull’s-eye on this volatile facility in the heart of such a densely-populated area,” Senator Stillman added.
“Public access to plans for every contingency should really be just a starting point for dialogue in the approval process.”

The Task Force was established this past summer by Governor M. Jodi Rell and charged with defining Connecticut’s interest in Broadwater’s Energy proposed 10-story high natural gas storage unit that would be located 11 miles off the coast of Connecticut in Long Island Sound.

Senator Fasano is in his second term representing the 34th district communities of North Haven, East Haven, and Wallingford. He is the Ranking Senator on the Planning and Development Committee and the Select Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. He also serves on the budget-writing Appropriations Committee and the General Law Committee.

Senator Stillman is serving her first term in the state Senate following six terms in the state House of Representatives. She is the Senate chair of the legislature’s Public Safety and Security Committee, and is a member of the Finance, Revenue, and Bonding, Public Health, and Regulations Review Committees.