Two final NJ public hearings to be held in Eatontown, NJ on November 4th & 5th, 2015
Members of the Jersey Shore Surfrider chapter were in attendance on Tuesday, October 6th at the Municipal Beach in Sea Bright to hear from elected officials who are calling on Governor Christie to veto a proposal to build a Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) port off the coast of Long Branch. There will be two public hearings held in connection with the application and the FEIS held in Eatontown, New Jersey on November 4, 2015 and November 5, 2015, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. Each public hearing will be preceded by an open house from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. These hearing will take place at the Eatontown Sheraton.
Officials Oppose LNG Facility Off NJ Coast
The project was suspended in March due to public outcry about the obvious dangers that the Port Ambrose site would impose, and its seemingly superfluous nature considering the excess amount of natural gas already in the country. The LNG backers claim it would be used to import natural gas to make it more affordable for people in NY/NJ area, but opponents of the project believe it would be used to export it to other countries for their financial gain. If that's the case, it would have next to no benefit for our area and produce many risks including dangerous spills, potential terrorism threats, and more.
That is why officials like Republican Senator, Jennifer Beck and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande (R.) of Monmouth County spoke out against the LNG port, and asked Governor Christie to veto it. There will be another public hearing sometime this fall. Stay tuned here, or attend one of our chapter meetings to stay informed on this important issue regarding our beloved Jersey Shore area.
According to the notice of the public hearing:
"Also, within 45 days following the final hearing (Nov. 5th), on or prior to December 21, 2015, the Governor of New York and the Governor of New Jersey may approve, disapprove, or notify MARAD of inconsistencies with State programs relating to environmental protection, land and water use, and coastal zone management for which MARAD may ensure consistency by placing conditions on the license."
This means that Governor Chris Christie has the opportunity to VETO this project. Our goal over the next few months is to have a strong presence at these hearings and to urge our governor to veto the project.
You can sign the petition in opposition of Port Ambrose here.
The link to the notice of public hearing here.