Man-made island is no paradise for New Jersey

RELEASE: Sept. 21, 2007 – Volume XXXIX, No. 38

An artificial island off the Jersey shore could be exclusive resort attracting millionaire vacationers to a private retreat. In reality, a newly-proposed island 19 miles from our coastline would be anything but paradise.

This new threat is a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing facility. The project – euphemistically dubbed Safe Harbor Energy – calls for building a 60.5-acre man-made island to house docking, storage and processing facilities.

The land mass would be roughly five times the size of Liberty Island, home to the Statue of Liberty. Port facilities for tanker ships and support vessels; four 180,000-cubic-meter LNG storage tanks; a sub-sea pipeline connecting to the transcontinental gas pipeline currently running under much of New Jersey; and a mainland plant for transferring personnel, equipment and supplies would make up the new facility.

Under the provisions of the federal Deepwater Port Act, the U.S. Maritime Administration must consult with “adjacent coastal state(s)” before granting a license. But under the strict definition in the Act, only New York qualifies as an adjacent state. If this interpretation is allowed to stand, New Jersey would be denied a meaningful voice in a project with enormous impacts for this state we’re in.

New Jersey’s environment, tourism, and commercial and recreational fishing are all at risk. The region’s coastal waters are home to more than 300 species of fish, nearly 350 bird species, and seven sea turtle species. Commercial fishing contributes $100 million to New Jersey’s economy each year, and recreational fishing accounts for more than $700 million in retail sales.

As for tourism, what’s more Jersey than the Jersey shore? Our four coastal counties – Atlantic, Cape May, Ocean, and Monmouth, with their miles of beaches and beautiful bay shores – contribute more than $21.6 billion in annual economic activity.

Average ocean currents in the area proposed for the artificial island run toward New Jersey, so pollution from construction and operation of the facility would be flowing our way. New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine has wisely petitioned for "adjacent state” status to give us a say.

While it’s tempting to view this project as a way to increase our energy supplies, why shouldn’t we be looking to conserve energy first and foremost, rather than doing additional harm to our already threatened oceans?

Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ-6) has introduced "The New Jersey/New York Clean Ocean Zone Act" (H.R. 2854) in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill would protect our oceans by limiting dumping, mining, wastewater discharges and more. This is the direction we should be taking with stewardship of our oceans.

Citizens can help by contacting the U.S. Maritime Administration and Coast Guard in support of New Jersey receiving “adjacent state” status. Letters may be sent to M.A. Prescott, Chief of the Deepwater Ports Standards Division, U.S. Coast Guard, 2100 Second St. SW, Washington DC 20593, and H. Keith Lesnick, Director of the Office of Deepwater Ports Licensing and Offshore Activities, U.S. Maritime Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave SE (MAR-530), Washington DC 20590. In addition, ask your congressman to support HR-2854.

Learn more about the Safe Harbor Energy project from Clean Ocean Action, by clicking on ‘Action Alerts’ at www.cleanoceanaction.org. And I hope you’ll contact me at info@njconservation.org, or visit NJCF’s website at www.njconservation.org, for more information about conserving New Jersey’s precious land and natural resources.

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