Ruppersberger Calls on FERC to
Direct AES to Withdraw LNG Application

(Washington, D.C.)- Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Maryland 2nd) is calling on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to direct the AES Corporation to withdraw its application for a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility in Eastern Baltimore County.  AES Corporation wants to construct an LNG facility on the site of the former Sparrows Point Shipyard in Dundalk.  On June 22, 2007, a federal judge upheld a Baltimore County law that bans LNG plants from sensitive coastal areas including the Chesapeake Bay.  

In a July 16, 2007, letter to FERC, the independent federal agency that approves or denies the construction of LNG facilities, Congressman Ruppersberger wrote, “Given these legal developments, there are now insurmountable government barriers to the construction of an LNG facility at Sparrows Points…  There is almost unanimous opposition to the application from the local, state, and federal representatives of Baltimore County.  It seems the wisest course of action is for the applicant to cancel this proposal and begin the search for a better, safer, and more environmentally appropriate alternative elsewhere.”  The Congressman’s letter to FERC is attached.

Congressman Ruppersberger believes an LNG facility is absolutely inappropriate for the area.  If constructed, the facility would be located on an environmentally sensitive area of the Chesapeake Bay.  It would also be less than two miles from the residential neighborhoods of Dundalk, Turner’s Station, and Edgemere.  LNG is a hazardous fuel that can explode when ignited.   Congressman Ruppersberger believes area residents could be harmed if there is an accident or a terrorist attack at the facility or on the tankers that travel up the bay.  The Coast Guard is already patrolling the LNG facility at Cove Point and the Calvert Cliff’s Nuclear Power Plant in Calvert County.  Area residents’ quality of life could be negatively impacted by restrictions on recreational boat traffic.  In addition, Congressman Ruppersberger believes an LNG facility would harm a multi-million dollar revitalization effort on the Eastside of Baltimore County. 

The proposed site of the LNG facility is located in Maryland’s 2nd District.  Congressman Ruppersberger has contacted every other agency involved in the approval process and urged them to deny the application as well including the Army Corp of Engineers, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Coast Guard.  The AES Corporation filed its official application to construct the project on January 7, 2007.

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