Environmentalists said Thursday they will fight plans tentatively approved by the federal government to build a natural gas pipeline from the Bahamas to Florida.
The concept was approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington Wednesday, but now it must hear the environmental issues the pipeline will present.
The approval was a victory for AES Corp., a New Jersey energy company with annual revenues of $8 billion. In addition to the environmental hurdles, the firm will have to get permission from Bahamas energy regulators.
Super-cold, condensed liquefied gas would be unloaded from huge ships at Ocean Cay, owned by AES and located south of Bimini. It would be brought back to normal temperatures and transported to the United States through the pipeline.
Environmentalists said the pipeline would travel through coral reefs and other habitats of endangered species such as manatees and sea turtles.
Brenda Chalifour, an attorney for Save Our Shoreline, said the proposal was “unacceptable.”
“We’ve been tracking it,” Chalifour said “We’re waiting for them to issue an environmental impact statement. We have no idea when that will be.”
George Cavros of the Sierra Club in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said Thursday the organization has already intervened in the matter.
“We’re going to be looking closely at the environmental impact statement and will comment on it,” Cavros said. “We feel it’s a fact that the coral reef south of Palm Beach is one of the most sensitive in the United States.
“Atlantic pipelines present some real challenges and detriments,” Cavros said. “The reefs are under attack as it is. They’re dying already.”
“Currently there is no national need for an increase in natural gas,” he added.
He said that companies in Florida already have a source they can use for natural gas — the Florida Gas Transmission line, that comes across north Florida and down the state’s eastern coast.
But he also said he hopes any companies would tap into it north of Palm Beach County to protect south Florida’s ecology.
Tamara Young, a spokeswoman for the commission, promised “the whole gamut” of concerns about the Bahamas pipeline including impacts on water, air quality, neighborhoods and geological issues.
The action gives AES a head start on two other companies — Tractebel and El Paso Corp. Their proposals are similar but those pipelines would be placed in slightly different locations.
Officials said it was unlikely three pipelines would be built, but there could be two. The gas would be used in Florida mostly for power utilities and industry.
Tractebel’s project originated with Enron, but when Enron went down Tractebel picked it up in bankruptcy court for $11 million.
Cavros said he was concerned with the financial viability of the companies involved, including AES.
“These companies should be required to show their ability to follow through on the project,” Cavros said. “So often they get permission from FERC and shop it around.”
By Les Kjos, United Press International
