The New Fortress Energy proposal to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) from a deepwater port on the Delaware River is caught in a swirl of controversy and uncertainty. The company intends to transport LNG in enormous ships from a proposed dock in Gibbstown, New Jersey, 6.3 miles north of the Delaware state line, down the Delaware River and Bay to the Atlantic for sale overseas.
The ships would pass many Delaware communities, including Wilmington, dense populations in New Castle County, bay-shore beaches, coastal wildlife areas and fishery hubs, and under bridges, exposing all irreplaceable assets to the danger of their hazardous cargo. Dubbed “bomb ships,” each of the marine vessels is said to carry the explosive energy equal to approximately 69 Hiroshima atomic bombs.
When the city of Wilmington passed a resolution opposing the LNG project, they cited the safety hazards of LNG that, if released, could expose the city’s residents to inextinguishable fire, possible bomblike explosions and a vapor cloud so cold it robs the oxygen from the air, killing those nearby. Councilwoman Linda Gray sponsored the resolution, saying that the highly explosive cargo would pass the city’s port and within a mile or two of downtown Wilmington, representing a threat to the safety of the people of Wilmington. Opponents in Delaware point out that there is no benefit to Delaware, and, regardless, nothing could justify the potential risks.
As the proposed LNG project has been more carefully examined, its future has become uncertain. Delaware Riverkeeper Network is appealing all three major permits for the terminal, the export dock isn’t built, and two federal agencies are taking a closer look. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is currently deciding its jurisdiction over the Gibbstown LNG export terminal and the liquefaction plant proposed for Wyalusing, Pennsylvania, where the gas would be liquefied for delivery to Gibbstown. If FERC decides they do have jurisdiction over the facilities, new environmental review by the agency would be required.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is separately considering a late-filed application by New Fortress Energy for the renewal of a special permit for the rail car transport of LNG from Wyalusing to Gibbstown. The special permit was granted to the company as an exception to the long-standing ban on LNG transport by rail that was in place at the time. If PHMSA decides not to grant the special permit or to require a new application that reflects recently proposed rulemaking by PHMSA that suspends the allowance of the transport of LNG nationwide, based on the threat to communities’ public safety along the train route, the viability of the project will face new challenges. If trains are disallowed, using only trucks would deliver much less LNG, straining the project’s economic feasibility and its investment glamour.
Adding to the impacts of New Fortress Energy’s far-reaching project footprint is the known effect of methane, the most powerful of greenhouse gases on a 20-year timescale. The next 10 years are the period when scientists are saying we must reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, if we are to avoid climate catastrophe. Delaware’s attorney general is suing 31 fossil fuel companies on behalf of the state’s residents and businesses for covering up climate impacts. “Now we are staring down a crisis at our shores, and taxpayers are once again footing the bill for damage to our roads, our beaches, our environment and our economy. We are seeking accountability from some of the world’s most powerful businesses to pay for the mess they’ve made,” said AG Kathy Jennings. The LNG export project would induce more gas production, more methane emissions, at odds with our need to thwart global warming.
Protection of the Delaware River, Estuary and Bay, and the health and safety of communities, must be the priority. FERC and PHMSA, federal agencies under the Biden administration, must care about these essential values and act to protect them as they make these decisions.
That means stopping the proposed Gibbstown LNG export terminal.
Tracy Carluccio is the deputy director of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network.
