BY KIRSTYN BRENDLEN
Climate and environmental
activists say National Grid’s
assessment of the impact the
proposed construction of two
new Liquifi ed Natural Gas
vaporizers at the Greenpoint
Energy Center under state climate
law is inaccurate, and
are calling on the state Department
of Environmental
Conservation to reject the expansion.
“National Grid continues to
hide the harmful impacts of its
projects on communities and
our climate, like we see here
with the proposed LNG vaporizers,”
said Kim Fraczek, director
of environmental organization
the Sane Energy Project.
“This project does not comply
with our state’s climate and
environmental justice law, yet
National Grid persists in hedging
its bets that New York State
leadership and advocates are
not paying attention.”
In 2019, the state set ambitious
COURIER L 22 IFE, DECEMBER 3-9, 2021
climate goals under the
Climate Leadership and Community
Protection Act – and
mandated that state agencies,
like DEC, make decisions that
comply with those goals.
National Grid is seeking
Air State Facility permits from
DEC to to build two new Liquefi
ed Natural Gas vaporizers
at the Greenpoint site. The vaporizers
are used only during
peak times – the coldest days
of winter – to return stored liquid
gas back to its gas state and
route it back to the grid to meet
demand when gas heaters are
turned up high. The permits
would replace the facility’s existing,
more restrictive Title V
permits.
According to the CLCPA
analysis, which was conducted
by the consulting fi rm AKRF,
who also worked on the Gowanus
rezoning’s Final Environmental
Impact Statement, the
expansion would not increase
emissions of CO2e, or carbon
dioxide equivalents, and could
reduce emissions. Last month’s
presentation said greenhouse
gas emissions would be reduced
by 101 metric tons per year.
The analysis also cited National
Grid’s ongoing efforts to
reduce their carbon footprint,
including replacing two older
vaporizers in recent years.
But a letter from the Sane
Energy Project — which was
also signed by the University
Network for Human Rights,
Pace Environmental Law
Clinic, Dr. Anthony Ingraffea,
and Dr. Robert Howarth, who
sits on the state Climate Action
Panel – says the analysis is
faulty.
The group say National
Grid did not analyze the environmental
impact on the surrounding
Greenpoint neighbors and activists rallied outside the Greenpoint Energy
Center on Maspeth Avenue, where National Grid is looking to build
two new liquifi ed natural gas vaporizers. Photo by Ken Schles
community, including
the nearby public housing
complex Cooper Park Houses.
National Grid is being investigated
by the federal Environmental
Protection Agency
and the federal Department of
Transportation for potential
civil rights violations related
to the construction of the Metropolitan
Natural Gas Reliability
Project — also known as the
North Brooklyn Pipeline.
Sane Energy’s letter disputes
the CLCPA’s claim that
the project won’t increase the
supply of gas stored at the facility,
citing a report the company
released last year that outlined
their plans to meet demand after
the proposed Northeast Supply
Enhancement pipeline was
rejected.
“This Greenpoint LNG Vaporization
project could increase
supply by 60 MDth/day
and be available by November
30, 2021, with a construction
cost of $59M,” the report states.
Read more on this topic on
www.BrooklynPaper.com
PIPING HOT!
Activists bemoan analysis of Greenpoint Energy
Center expansion, call to reject permits
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