Ruppersberger Questions Officials about Safety And Security Concerns with the Proposed
LNG Facility in Eastern Baltimore County

(Washington, D.C.)- Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) questioned federal officials about the safety and security concerns surrounding the proposed Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility on the site of the former Sparrows Point Shipyard in Eastern Baltimore County.  The Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation held a field hearing at the University of Maryland, School of Law on Monday, April 23, 2007.    

“A liquefied natural gas facility is absolutely inappropriate for the area.  If constructed, the facility would 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.  Local residents could be harmed if there is an accident or a terrorist attack at the facility or on the tankers that travel up the Chesapeake Bay.  The Coast Guard is already patrolling the LNG facility at Cove Point and the Calvert Cliff’s Nuclear Power Plant in Calvert County.  Precious Coast Guard resources could be stretched too thin.  Area resident’s quality of life could be negatively impacted by restrictions on recreational boat traffic.  In addition, an LNG facility could harm a multi-million dollar revitalization effort on the Eastside of Baltimore County,” said Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD).   

Maryland Senator Mikulski (D-MD), Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley (D-MD), Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith, Captain Brian D. Kelley, U.S. Coast Guard, Mr. Richard Hoffmann, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Mr. Kent Morton, AES Corporation and Baltimore County Residents attended the hearing.    

Congressman Ruppersberger has contacted every agency involved in the approval process and urged them to deny the application including the Army Corp of Engineers, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Coast Guard, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).  AES Corporation filed their official application to construct the project on January 7, 2007.

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