2006 November 26
Save Passamaquoddy Bay 3-Nation Alliance (SPB), an organization of citizens and governments around international Passamaquoddy Bay within the Bay of Fundy, has learned that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has been ignoring world-class best practices standards that have been established over the past 30 years by the Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) industry. The non-profit organization that has established these standards is the Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators (SIGTTO), based in the United Kingdom. Over 90 percent of the world's LNG capacity are members of SIGTTO.
SPB discovered that SIGTTO sent a letter to FERC in 2004, offering its assistance to FERC in any way possible. So far, FERC has ignored that offer. At the same time, FERC has been inundated with LNG terminal and storage applications, has issued permits for several, and has around 40 LNG projects in progress.
SPB believes that by ignoring LNG-industry world standards and SIGTTO's offer of assistance, FERC is negligently placing the American public and the American energy industry at risk. Therefore, SPB requests that Congress conduct formal hearings to hold FERC accountable for its negligence, and asks Congress to enact legislation that requires FERC to abide by SIGTTO LNG and other SIGTTO gas-industry standards.
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