Broadwater, The Environment, And Human Rights

Feds Give Environmental Okay To LNG Terminal In LI Sound; Local Activists Say, "Not So Fast"

Coming as no surprise from an administration in Washington that told us there were no post-9/11 environmental concerns in lower Manhattan, and "no worries" in the Gulf Coast either before or after hurricane Katrina, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has determined that the proposed Broadwater Liquified Natural Gas terminal -- smack dab in the middle of Long Island Sound -- poses "limited adverse environmental impacts."

Right.

Damn the fish and the fishermen, the recreational boater and the swimmer, the vision and the vistas. Turn our Long Island Sound into the world's largest LNG storage tank, and bring on the super tankers, with all of their hazards and risks.

If the U.S. government gives its stamp of approval, it must be good for us, after all. [And should there be a mishap, or two, there's always FEMA.]

While the Governor of Connecticut has vowed to fight on, and the Nutmeg State's Attorney General posits a lawsuit to overturn FERC's findings, our own Governor, Eliot Spitzer, has yet to take a position, pro or con. [Come on, Eliot. Where is the steamroller when we need it?]

This is no time to play "wait and see" on the future of Long Island Sound.

The time to say NO to Braodwater is NOW!
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From Citizens Campaign for the Environment

Broadwater Energy, a joint venture between Shell Oil and TransCanada, is proposing to build an industrial Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) barge in the open waters of Long Island Sound, approximately 9 miles from Rocky Point.

For years, the Broadwater discussion has focused on protecting our treasured Long Island Sound, water safety, and maritime culture and preserving water-dependent activities like fishing and boating. This Broadwater Forum at the Huntington Cinema Arts Centre will update attendees on the status of the project, but moreover will offer a new human rights perspective on the project sponsor.

Shell Oil has massive LNG operations in Nigeria, where the company continues to degrade the environment, economy, and culture of Niger Delta peoples. Shell is being sued in Manhattan federal court for violating the human rights of Nigerian Nobel Peace Prize nominee Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Nigerians who are now dead.

Learn more about the status of the Broadwater proposal, see video footage of Ken Saro-Wiwa, and hear Lauren Melodia, a representative of the Center for Constitutional Rights (which has filed the lawsuit against Shell Oil), speak on the Saro-Wiwa case.

What:
A Broadwater Forum
Who:
Lauren Melodia, Center for Constitutional Rights
Peter Maniscalco, Renew Community Earth
Adrienne Esposito, Citizens Campaign for the Environment
When:
Thursday, January 17, 2008 at 7:30PM
Where:
The Huntington Cinema Arts Centre 423 Park Avenue, Huntington, NY www.cinemaartscentre.org

If you care about the Sound, come on out and make some noise at the Broadwater Forum. Together we make a difference!