Broadwater

Natural Gas - Uses• Supplies 24% of U.S. energy

consumption• Used to heat 55% of American homes• Burned to generate electricity at power plants• Used for transportation

How A Power Plant Works

Natural Gas

• Fossil fuel• Found in deep underground reservoirs formed

by porous rock• Formed millions of years ago from buried

phytoplankton and zooplankton• Mostly methane – CH4

• 85% produced domestically

LNG – liquefied natural gas• Natural gas cooled to liquid state at -260oF• Reduces volume• Can be economically shipped worldwide• Warmed to gas state and distributed to

homes and businesses through pipes• Used in U.S. since 1912

Broadwater• Company owned by TransCanada Corp. and Shell

Oil• Plans to build floating storage regasification unit

(FSRU) in LIS• Would receive LNG shipments 2 – 3 times per week

through the Race• LNG stored and warmed to gas state for distribution• Natural gas sent through

Iroquois Pipelinelng tanker

Floating Storage Regasification Unit FSRU

• Ship-like vessel• Moored in LIS• 1,200 feet long• 180 feet wide• 75 to 80 feet

above water

Typical LNG import terminal. Broadwater wouldhave all components on FSRU.

• In New York waters• 9 miles north of Shoreham, NY• 10 miles south of CT shoreline

Floating Storage Regasification Unit FSRU

• Moored to bottom of LIS• Can rotate depending on currents and winds

Benefits - ECONOMIC

• Additional natural gas supply• $300 per year energy savings for median

household• $1.2 billion annual economic benefit on

commercial sector– Direct energy cost savings– Economic stimulus

• 122 construction jobs, 95 permanent jobs in NYS• Tax benefits

from www.broadwaterenergy.com

Benefits - ENVIRONMENTAL

• Fewer environmental impacts than other alternatives considered

• Would not impact sensitive onshore or near shore resources

• Natural gas is a “cleaner” fuel than oil and coal – fewer atmospheric pollutants

from www.broadwaterenergy.com

Problems• LIS declared by U.S. Congress an

“Estuary of National Significance” – part of National Estuary Program – to improve LIS

• LIS is biologically, economically and recreationally important– Commercial and recreational fishing - $1.2 billion/year– Other recreational uses - $5 billion/year

• NY and CT coastlines denselypopulated

• FSRU and mooring arethe first of its kind worldwide

Problems – PUBLIC ACCESS

• “No public access zone” around FSRU – 1.5 sq. miles

• “No public access zone” around tankers – 2 miles in front, 1 mile in back, 750 yds. on sides

• These parts of LIS no longer available for public use – fishing, sailing,boating, canoeing, etc.

• Armed escort and patrol boats

Problems - ENVIRONMENTAL• Excavation for pipeline and mooring will destroy

benthic communities• Creates sediment plumes,

stir up toxic contaminants– Shade phytoplankton– Clog suspension feeders– Disrupt local food webs

• Tankers may bring more invasive species – in ballastwater, or boat hulls andgear

from The Nature Conservancy

Problems - ENVIRONMENTAL• Tankers may collide with rare and endangered sea

turtles and marine mammals• Potential leakage of fuel – toxic contaminants• FSRU and tankers will take in 28.2 million gallons of

LIS water per day for vaporization process and cooling – entrainment of fish larvae and other meroplankton, phytoplankton and zooplankton

harbor sealsgreen turtle

Winter flounder larvae from The Nature Conservancy

Problems - ENVIRONMENTAL

• Construction noise may be lethal or damaging to fish and marine mammals

• Lighting may impact birds and other organisms

• Other necessary infrastructure may destroy habitat or degrade air and water quality – including on land

from The Nature Conservancy

Problems - AESTHETIC• Will be permanently visible from land• Broadwater says this is minor

FSRU

view from Wading River before view from Wading River after

Problems - AESTHETIC

view from Mt. Sinai before

view from Mt. Sinai after

FSRU

Problems - SAFETY

• 99% probability of tropical storm or hurricane in next 50 years

• 26% probability of major (category 3 or >) hurricane in next 50 years

• Insurance companies have cancelled many LI homeowners insurance policies

• What damage would majorstorm do?

Problems – SAFETYFires and Explosions

• LNG is flammable in gas form if mixed with O2

• pool fires - vaporized gas ignites– Cannot be controlled– Burns until all fuel used up• Tanker fire – Melt steel from 1,300 ft., 2nd degree burn from 1 mi. away– Minimum safe distance from tanker = 7 miles– Tankers through Race within 1 mile of N. Fork

• Would kill organisms and deprive water of D.O.• flammable vapor clouds – vapor travels and then

ignites

Problems – SAFETYSpills and Terrorism

• From tankers or during offloading• Can ignite• Can kill organisms even if does not ignite• Potentially major terrorist target – major

damage

Environmental Impact Statement

• Document prepared by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to assess environmental damage caused by project

• Required by Federal law• Basis for providing permits for project to be

built• Envir. organizations say it is incomplete – does

not address all issues

Public Hearings

• To get public opinion on project• Some people support project – bring jobs and

economic benefits• Some people against project – environmental

concerns• All of LI Congressional delegation (except one

Congressman) against project

Current Status

• Approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission – early spring 2008

• Rejected by NY Governor Paterson – early April 2008

• Broadwater appealed to U.S. Department of Commerce to have LNG facility built in “U.S. national interest” – late April 2008

• Appeal denied – early April 2009

What do you think?