Twelve House lawmakers from Massachusetts and Rhode Island called on several federal agencies Monday to review proposals for construction of new liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals based on a regional approach.

In letters to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the departments of Transportation and Energy, the lawmakers said “decisions [on] whether to build and where to locate LNG facilities should be made carefully and from a regional perspective rather than on an ad hoc basis.”

The siting of LNG facilities has become a controversial issue in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Currently, there are approximately four LNG facilities that are either proposed or planned for onshore or offshore the two states.

“I think there’s a healthy skepticism [by residents in the two states] with respect to the offshore” LNG facilities that have been proposed/planned for the region, said Rep. John Tierney (D-MA), who spearheaded the letter-writing effort. He is the ranking member of the House Government Reform Committee’s energy policy subcommittee. There are “safety concerns” with onshore LNG facilities as well, Tierney said. “We understand the importance of natural gas…but we don’t want to over-build or build in unsafe places.”

A regional approach to LNG permitting would involve three key components, according to the representatives. First, “new facilities should only be built if they meet a defined regional need…Other North American import facilities should be included in evaluating [regional] need. For example, new import facilities in Canada are expected to provide supply in the Northeastern United States.”

Second, “a regional approach should ensure that LNG facilities are sited and operated in a manner that provides the utmost protection to public safety and has the least impact on nearby communities, including fishing and shipping communities,” the members of the New England congressional delegation said.

Third, “a regional approach can and should promote siting LNG facilities in a manner that is protective of the environment,” wrote Tierney, Reps. Edward Markey (D-MA) and Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI), among others.

“The federal government should not just consider the locations targeted by companies seeking to build new facilities. Demand for the facility should first be established and, if a new LNG facility is needed in a particular region, under NEPA [National Environmental Policy Act], alternative locations in that region should be considered.”

The lawmakers also urged the federal agencies to closely coordinate their efforts. “It appears that despite their roles as the primary federal LNG permitting authorities, FERC and the Coast Guard each pursue their own permitting processes independently without adequate coordination. Moreover, the Department of Transportation does not appear to have complied with congressional intent with respect to remote siting of new LNG terminals. It does not make sense that onshore and offshore permitting programs would each function in isolation rather than in collaboration.”

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