This week’s decision by the Florida government to delay approval of liquefied natural gas proposals could mean that Bahamian authorities may be forced to hold off on giving the go-ahead for any of the projects, the Journal has learnt.
This decision came days after Trade and Industry Minister Leslie Miller told the Bahama Journal that the AES Corporation was likely to soon get approval for its proposal.
Minister Miller said on Sunday that the government may very well approve all three projects.
AES, Tractebel and the El Paso corporations are all vying for LNG approval in the Bahamas and Florida. They must get the permission from both jurisdictions given that their separate pipelines would run from the Northern Bahamas to South Florida to meet the state’s growing energy needs.
During a meeting that was attended by Florida’s Governor Jeb Bush, his cabinet, environmental groups and officials from the AES and Tractebel corporations, Mr. Bush raised concerns after AES officials failed to answer questions on their project’s environmental and economic impact, according to Florida media reports.
Minister Miller told the Journal Thursday that he will be seeking clarification from the governor’s office on the specifics of Florida’s recent decision.
He said earlier Sunday that he is “absolutely” satisfied that all of the environmental concerns raised regarding the three LNG projects have been addressed.
But Dan Clark, president of the Florida environmental group, Cry of the Water, told the Bahama Journal Thursday that Governor Bush surprised those present by asking AES officials “hard questions about their project and the environment that they could not answer.”
Governor Bush and other government officials reportedly expressed concerns about present and potential damage to coral reefs resulting from these projects.
In January, Tractebel damaged coral reefs while conducting exploratory exercises off the Florida coast, according to state officials.
Mr. Clark said, “While drilling their test holes Tractebel moved 480 corals and [they] now tell us they will be moving thousands more. Even after moving over 480 corals the company still damaged over 30 corals and destroyed four.”
According to Mr. Clark, Tractebel and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently sat in closed-door meetings to discuss non-compliance issues.
“These meetings should be open to the public,” he said. “Secret meetings between Tractebel and [the] Florida DEP make it look like they have something to hide. [The] comment period for the final [environmental impact study] was open during this meeting but how can we comment on information we cannot access?”
The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has given AES and Tractebel approvals.
The Texas-based El Paso Corporation, wrought with financial problems, has yet to submit its application to FERC.
Although FERC has given its approvals, the companies must secure approvals from the Florida governor’s office, because their proposals call for pipelines to travel over state land and through coral reefs on Florida’s coast.
In past interviews, Minister Miller said The Bahamas government would follow the lead of the governing bodies in Florida, when it considers whether to approve any of the three projects.
Mr. Clark insists that FERC is not relying on the best information available when it assesses reports done by the independent firms that study the impact of the current LNG proposals.
“The transplantation of thousands of corals is not a minor issue,” he insisted. “Transplantation should have been included in the final EIS for the public and all the agencies to comment on.
“We raised this issue to the South Florida Eco-Systems Restoration Task Force two weeks ago [and] people from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) came up to us after the meeting and told us they had no idea that corals were being moved for this project.”
Cry of the Water is calling for a supplemental Draft EIS to be done by FERC that includes the best available information including transplantation of corals.
Tractebel was not given an opportunity to present its proposals during this week’s meeting, since the forum was consumed with discussions on the AES project, according to Mr. Clark.
Bahamas Environment Science and Technology Commission Chairman Keod Smith continues to oppose the approval of LNG facilities for the Bahamas, saying legislation to govern them is not in place.
Minister Miller has said that the government stands to reap substantial financial benefits from these projects.
Sharon Williams, The Bahama Journal
