FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Contact: Jason Pitt, 202.675.6272
Sierra Club Rejects Liquefied Natural Gas Export Terminal
Cove Point, MD —Today the Sierra Club announced that they will reject a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility in Cove Point, MD. In a unique plot twist, a prior legal settlement entered in the 1970s and later revised gives the Sierra Club the ability to reject any significant changes to the purpose or footprint of the existing Cove Point LNG import facility.
Converting the facility to accommodate LNG exports would result in major damage to the Chesapeake Bay, coastal forests, and the local economy and tourism.
"As a regular visitor to the Bay and parks like Calvert Cliffs State Park, just north of Cove Point, I see first-hand how expanding this facility will tear into our protected forest land and destroy precious coastline," said Dave O'Leary, Sierra Club's Maryland Chapter Chair. "Sierra Club's Maryland Chapter is proud to be the first of Sierra Club's chapters to reject dirty LNG exports, and we will support other chapters in their efforts to stop these dangerous projects."
"The damage that this project would bring to the Maryland coast as well as the disastrous effects of the fracking boom on communities in states like Pennsylvania make it clear that exporting liquefied natural gas is bad news for Americans' air, water and health," said Sierra Club Executive Director, Michael Brune. "The Sierra Club cannot and will not support LNG exports from Cove Point, and we will reject Dominion's proposal."
The export of LNG will result in the increase of dangerous fracking in the Marcellus Shale. No federal agency has ever fully analyzed or disclosed these dangers to the public interest. Sierra Club's letter makes clear that this failure of transparency is a key reason to oppose the project.
The Sierra Club sent a letter to Dominion, today laying out the details of their rejection of the Cove Point LNG export facility. Read it here.
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