While President Bush extols the virtues of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in speeches, energy companies have been at work, planning some 50 new LNG import terminals across North America, most slated for U.S. ports. Meanwhile, citizens and officials in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Rhode Island, where new terminals are proposed, are fighting to stop their construction, citing security and environmental concerns. Successful campaigns have already halted projects in Alabama, California, and Maine. In Mexico, Greenpeace and others are challenging a proposed terminal on Isla Coronado, where more than half of the endangered Xantus’ murrelets nest. Just four LNG import terminals are currently operational in the U.S., in Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, and Massachusetts, though the House version of the energy bill and other pending legislation aim to speed construction by mandating federal authority over terminal siting.
