What is liquefied natural gas (LNG)?
Liquefied natural gas is natural gas that has been converted to liquid form for ease of storage or transport. To convert it to a liquid form, it must be cooled to minus 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Natural gas is converted to a liquid in order to transport it more easily in places where there are no pipelines. Liquefied natural gas takes up less space. So, it makes it much easier to export.
Why am I hearing about this now?
The natural gas industry is pressuring local governments to build new infrastructure that will allow them to ship natural gas overseas.
For the past 40 years, there has been a de-facto ban on LNG in New York State. Before the ban can be lifted, the state assembly requires rules for siting and operating them. Recently the Department of Environmental Conservation has proposed rules to permit “safe siting, construction, and operation” of LNG facilities and transportation in the state.
Why should I oppose LNG?
We should oppose LNG facilities and transportation for several reasons.
- It will increase the demand for fracked natural gas.
- To super-cool it to a liquid form requires a great amount of carbon-intensive energy, doing more damage to the climate.
- It is hazardous and accidents can happen. An explosion in 1973 killed 40 workers on Staten Island.
- Routine venting allows methane gas into the atmosphere, which is a problem because over a one-hundred-year time span, the global warming potential of methane is about 34 times that of carbon dioxide.
- It is a distraction from investing in renewables and conservation.
How can I oppose LNG?
The DEC is accepting comments from the public until December 4, 2013 at 5:00 p.m.