DANIA BEACH, Fla. — A second undersea pipeline from the Bahamas to Broward County has won preliminary environmental approval from the federal government, after a lengthy review concluded it would have minimal impact on coral reefs, endangered species or public safety.
The Tractebel Calypso pipeline, proposed by a subsidiary of the French utility giant Suez, would cause only temporary and minor environmental harm along its 90-mile route from Grand Bahama island to southern Broward County, according to a draft environmental impact statement from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
“We have concluded that if the project is constructed and operated as planned with proper mitigation measures and careful resource monitoring during construction, it would be an environmentally acceptable action,” the report states.
The commission already has given preliminary environmental approval to a pipeline proposed by AES Corp., raising the possibility that both projects will be built.
Under each proposal, ships would carry liquefied natural gas to the Bahamas, where it would be converted to gas and shot through the pipelines to Florida. The gas would serve mainly as fuel for power plants. The Bahamas is still reviewing the proposals.
Dan Clark, of Cry of the Water, a local environmental group, said he remained concerned that the pipeline could be a target for terrorists and that the construction work would pose risks to reefs.
“We’ve never seen one of these projects go off as planned,” he said. “What looks good on paper doesn’t always work when you’re using giant tugs and barges and working at sea.”
