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We may have dodged a bullet
Kerry's Support for LNG......
- Thread starter MASS-Diver
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News Room
For Immediate Release:
March 8, 2006 For More Information:
Jen Baker
(617) 747-4313
Park Defenders Have the Votes to Save the Boston Harbor Islands
BOSTON As they prepare for a Wednesday hearing on legislation to convert an island in the Boston Harbor Islands State Park and National Recreation Area into the nations largest LNG terminal and storage depot, the parks defenders announced that they have the votes to stop the proposal.
On Wednesday the groups will release letters from sixteen Senators and fifty-eight Representatives opposing legislation that would transfer Outer Brewster Island in the Boston Harbor Islands State Park and National Recreation Area to an energy company for the construction of a controversial LNG terminal and storage facility.
The letters, addressed to Senate President Robert Travaglini and Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, were circulated by open space advocates Senators Robert Hedlund and Pamela Resor, and by Representatives Garrett Bradley, Brian Wallace and Ruth Balser.
"This will be a victory for those who worked to clean up Boston Harbor and those who helped create and preserve the Boston Harbor Islands National Park. Future generations will enjoy and appreciate this state treasure as a result of today's bipartisan effort to block this misguided proposal," said Senator Hedlund. "This is a defeat for those who seek to use the legislature for quick profit at the expense of this valuable public resource." Hedlund added, In addition to thanking those colleagues who have joined me in opposition to this proposal, I want to offer special thanks to Sen. Resor for her leadership on this issue as well as recognize the extraordinary efforts MASSPIRG and Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. This would not have been possible without their support and advocacy.
Because Outer Brewster is parkland, and protected by Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution, House Bill 4500 would require a 2/3 vote of both the Senate and the House to become law.
Twenty years into the Harbor clean up effort and ten years after the creation of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, we should be celebrating these great success stories, not fighting to stop the industrialization of our park, said Jen Baker, MASSPIRG environmental policy associate who helped coordinate the effort to recruit over 1/3 of the Legislature to take a stand against the bill, on behalf of a coalition of more than 24 groups. Thanks to the commitment and dedication of these elected officials, today we are one big step closer to putting an end to this devastating proposal.
We created the park to protect and preserve these islands for the public to use and enjoy forever, not to sell them off to the highest bidder, said Bruce Berman, of Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay, spokesman for the groups opposing House Bill 4500, special interest legislation filed by AES Corporation last November to lease Outer Brewster Island for 99 years for the construction of the LNG facility. We are proud to announce that we have the votes to stop it.
According to the parks defenders, the proposed facility is one of 17 pending proposals to site new LNG facilities in the Northeast. The AES proposal would be in addition to, and not a replacement for, the existing terminal in Boston Harbor, and would have no impact whatsoever on the other 16 proposals to bring gas into the region. It would destroy the island, damage important habitat, and forever restrict recreational and commercial access to the park to visitors, and for recreational and commercial vessels, sailors, divers, fisherman, and lobsterman.
"This sends a powerful message that a critical mass of key decision makers are committed to protecting important state and federal parkland rather than selling it off to one of many participants in the regional 'LNG Derby,' " said Sue Reid, staff attorney at Conservation Law Foundation. "Our regional energy needs can and should be met by pursuing far wiser alternatives."
The bill is scheduled for a public hearing before the Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures on Wednesday March 8th at 11 am in room B-2.
Additional Contacts
Bruce Berman, 617-293-6243.
Senator Robert Hedlund, 617-957-8775.
MASSACHUSETTS PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH GROUP
44 Winter Street, 4th floor Boston MA 02108 (617) 292-4800
For Immediate Release:
March 8, 2006 For More Information:
Jen Baker
(617) 747-4313
Park Defenders Have the Votes to Save the Boston Harbor Islands
BOSTON As they prepare for a Wednesday hearing on legislation to convert an island in the Boston Harbor Islands State Park and National Recreation Area into the nations largest LNG terminal and storage depot, the parks defenders announced that they have the votes to stop the proposal.
On Wednesday the groups will release letters from sixteen Senators and fifty-eight Representatives opposing legislation that would transfer Outer Brewster Island in the Boston Harbor Islands State Park and National Recreation Area to an energy company for the construction of a controversial LNG terminal and storage facility.
The letters, addressed to Senate President Robert Travaglini and Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, were circulated by open space advocates Senators Robert Hedlund and Pamela Resor, and by Representatives Garrett Bradley, Brian Wallace and Ruth Balser.
"This will be a victory for those who worked to clean up Boston Harbor and those who helped create and preserve the Boston Harbor Islands National Park. Future generations will enjoy and appreciate this state treasure as a result of today's bipartisan effort to block this misguided proposal," said Senator Hedlund. "This is a defeat for those who seek to use the legislature for quick profit at the expense of this valuable public resource." Hedlund added, In addition to thanking those colleagues who have joined me in opposition to this proposal, I want to offer special thanks to Sen. Resor for her leadership on this issue as well as recognize the extraordinary efforts MASSPIRG and Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. This would not have been possible without their support and advocacy.
Because Outer Brewster is parkland, and protected by Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution, House Bill 4500 would require a 2/3 vote of both the Senate and the House to become law.
Twenty years into the Harbor clean up effort and ten years after the creation of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, we should be celebrating these great success stories, not fighting to stop the industrialization of our park, said Jen Baker, MASSPIRG environmental policy associate who helped coordinate the effort to recruit over 1/3 of the Legislature to take a stand against the bill, on behalf of a coalition of more than 24 groups. Thanks to the commitment and dedication of these elected officials, today we are one big step closer to putting an end to this devastating proposal.
We created the park to protect and preserve these islands for the public to use and enjoy forever, not to sell them off to the highest bidder, said Bruce Berman, of Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay, spokesman for the groups opposing House Bill 4500, special interest legislation filed by AES Corporation last November to lease Outer Brewster Island for 99 years for the construction of the LNG facility. We are proud to announce that we have the votes to stop it.
According to the parks defenders, the proposed facility is one of 17 pending proposals to site new LNG facilities in the Northeast. The AES proposal would be in addition to, and not a replacement for, the existing terminal in Boston Harbor, and would have no impact whatsoever on the other 16 proposals to bring gas into the region. It would destroy the island, damage important habitat, and forever restrict recreational and commercial access to the park to visitors, and for recreational and commercial vessels, sailors, divers, fisherman, and lobsterman.
"This sends a powerful message that a critical mass of key decision makers are committed to protecting important state and federal parkland rather than selling it off to one of many participants in the regional 'LNG Derby,' " said Sue Reid, staff attorney at Conservation Law Foundation. "Our regional energy needs can and should be met by pursuing far wiser alternatives."
The bill is scheduled for a public hearing before the Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures on Wednesday March 8th at 11 am in room B-2.
Additional Contacts
Bruce Berman, 617-293-6243.
Senator Robert Hedlund, 617-957-8775.
MASSACHUSETTS PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH GROUP
44 Winter Street, 4th floor Boston MA 02108 (617) 292-4800
jchaplain
Contributor
Great news! Does anyone know when the bill is actually going to be voted on?
John C.
John C.
- Messages
- 233
- Reaction score
- 2
It looks like we will be diving the canyons for a while yet.
Patty and I just wanted to take a moment to let you know that the
> Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets has
> decided that it would be inappropriate to take any action to advance
> the AES proposal to lease Outer Brewster Island at this time, and has
> choosen instead to unaimously to refer HB 4500 to study.
>
> We are delighted with the thoughtful way Dean Flynn and Chairman
> Montigny have approached this complicated public policy matter, and
> of course we are also delighted that this bad bill is off the table
> for the time being, and that there are still 34 islands in the Boston
> Harbor Islands national park, at least for now!
>
> We especially want to thank Senator Hedlund and Representative
> Bradley for their outstanding leadership on this issue, and the many
> other Represenatives and Senators who stood with us as well.
>
> We will of course continue to work with the coalition and our allies
> in the House and the Senate to do whatever it takes to to protect the
> marine environment we have worked so hard to restore, including Outer
> Brewster Island and the Boston Harbor Islands National Park.
>
> Thanks to all of you for your patience, and for your support.
>
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> E. Bruce Berman, Jr.
> Communications Director
> Save the Harbor / Save the Bay
Patty and I just wanted to take a moment to let you know that the
> Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets has
> decided that it would be inappropriate to take any action to advance
> the AES proposal to lease Outer Brewster Island at this time, and has
> choosen instead to unaimously to refer HB 4500 to study.
>
> We are delighted with the thoughtful way Dean Flynn and Chairman
> Montigny have approached this complicated public policy matter, and
> of course we are also delighted that this bad bill is off the table
> for the time being, and that there are still 34 islands in the Boston
> Harbor Islands national park, at least for now!
>
> We especially want to thank Senator Hedlund and Representative
> Bradley for their outstanding leadership on this issue, and the many
> other Represenatives and Senators who stood with us as well.
>
> We will of course continue to work with the coalition and our allies
> in the House and the Senate to do whatever it takes to to protect the
> marine environment we have worked so hard to restore, including Outer
> Brewster Island and the Boston Harbor Islands National Park.
>
> Thanks to all of you for your patience, and for your support.
>
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> E. Bruce Berman, Jr.
> Communications Director
> Save the Harbor / Save the Bay
LobstaMan
Guest
Edward Rowe Snow would be pleased.
LobstaMan
LobstaMan
- Messages
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Cheers to that, Jimmy!
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