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N.Y. governor opposes Broadwater LNG Terminal

N.Y. governor opposes Broadwater LNG Terminal

New York Gov. David A. Paterson said Thursday he opposes the Broadwater Liquefied Natural Gas project proposed for Long Island Sound.

   “One of my goals as governor is to protect Long Island Sound, by preserving it as a valuable estuary, an economic engine for the region, and a key component to making Long Island’s quality of life one of the best in the country,” Paterson said. “Broadwater does not pass that test. Shame on us if we can’t develop a responsible energy policy without sacrificing one of our greatest natural and economic resources.”

   Paterson, who recently replaced Eliot Spitzer, said the LNG project “would be the first time in the history of Long Island Sound that a section of open water this size was handed over to a private company to the exclusion of the public. Privatizing open water would be fundamentally wrong and serve as a dangerous precedent for industrializing a body of water that people have spent years and millions of dollars trying to clean up.”

   Broadwater is a joint venture between TransCanada and Shell U.S. Gas and Power.

   Paterson said the terminal, associated pipeline and tankers would disrupt commercial and recreational fishing and said other alternatives exist.

   Earlier this week, Broadwater had released a poll that it said showed 68 percent of Long Island residents supported the Broadwater project and only 24 percent opposed it.