Groups Ask Cuomo to Veto Port Ambrose Project

NEW YORK – More than 20 environmental and civic groups have delivered a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo asking him to veto the Port Ambrose project.

Following four days of public hearings last week, the governor has until Dec. 21 to stop the offshore liquefied natural gas facility proposed for 20 miles from Long Island’s Jones Beach.

Jessica Roff, programs manager for the advocacy group Catskill Mountainkeeper, says the port is unnecessary and hazardous.

“It’s incredibly dangerous,” she states. “It’s destructive to the ocean, to the ocean floor, to the water, to the air and then anything that relies on the ocean for its livelihood.”

Liberty Natural Gas, the developer of the project, says the port would stabilize the natural gas supply and lower the price in a region that has some of the highest gas prices in the country.

The public comment period on Port Ambrose ends Nov. 30.

Either Cuomo or New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie can veto the project.

Scientist say the gas, when it escapes into the atmosphere, is a far more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

And Roff points out that the Port Ambrose project is in conflict with another proposal – an offshore wind farm.

“This one project is a small, really important step to take, but all of the ocean to the south of Long Island is this amazing field that could be used to start developing renewable energy like wind,” she states.

Roff maintains the Port Ambrose project represents an important fork in the road for New York.

“There’s really no choice which fork to take and it really feels like this is the moment, this is the deciding factor, this is the deciding moment in time for where do we go with New York’s energy future,” she stresses.