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Albany, NY-  Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton (D/WF-125) delivered her Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) Regulations comments to the DEC today in a 9-page letter addressed to Commissioner Joseph Martens. Her comments focused on the regulations’ ambiguous scope, lack of environmental protections, inadequate fee structure, failure to address greenhouse gas emissions, lack of adequate citing criteria, inadequate insurance and bonding requirements, and vague accident reporting.

Lifton expressed concern about the focus on LNG use for transportation purposes, while the proposed regulations would actually allow for facilities of all sizes. “Emphasis on the creation of an LNG transportation network is misleading, perhaps unintentionally so, but it is crucial that the public know the intended scope of these regulations,” she said in her letter.

Lifton also said that without an adequate fee structure, the needed oversight and monitoring would be lacking. “The public should never be in the situation of bearing the costs for an underinsured industry in case of accident, as has often happened in the past,” Lifton argued.

Lifton also criticized the lack of independent studies and a seeming over-reliance on one industry-produced report. She urged that clearly independent research should be the bulk of outside research relied upon by the DEC or any other state agency.

Lifton concluded by saying that the proposed regulations leave too many important environmental and safety decisions to the operators, without clear standards that allow for appropriate monitoring.

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