| FERC rehearing ruling expected |
| Tuesday, 15 December 2009 11:43 |
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by Randy Leonard Requests to reconsider the certification of a planned liquefied natural gas facility at Sparrows Point are expected to be addressed at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s monthly meeting Thursday in Washington, D.C. About a dozen individuals or organizations filed formal petitions after FERC granted a conditioned certification in January to AES Sparrows Point and Mid-Atlantic Express for the construction of a reportedly $400 million LNG terminal and associated 88-mile pipeline to Eagle, Pa. Many local people concerned about the environment and all the area’s elected officials have tried for years to get the project halted, but it was billed as a step to forestall what was expected by some to be a pending gas shortage. Since the FERC approval, the Maryland Department of the Environment denied a critical certification for the project (a decision on that denial is pending with the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals), and shale technologies have led to exploiting a glut of natural gas reserves in the region. • Check the Eagle Web site for an update to this story Thursday. |
