FERC Meets Behind Closed Doors to Discuss Broadwater

The feds are holding a meeting in Port Jefferson to discuss Broadwater today and tomorrow but the public can’t attend. Here’s what the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s notice says:

In view of the nature of critical energy infrastructure information and security issues to be explored, the cryogenic conference will not be open to the public.

You can attend only if you are a formal party to the proceeding or a representative of federal, state or local agency. Connecticut Fund for the Environment points out that FERC routinely says the LNG terminal that Broadwater (a joint venture of Shell and TransCanada) wants to put in the middle of Long Island Sound is not a target for terrorists; on the other hand, the technical information is too sensitive to let the public in on it. Here’s a statement the CFE/Save the Sound issued on behalf of Leah Schmalz, the organization’s director of legisltive and legal affairs:

"It seems that Broadwater is trying to have it both ways: either this project is a terrorist target and the public is better served by the information remaining guarded or it is not a target, in which case the public should be allowed to attend discussions and see the breadth of the record. It does the citizens of New York and Connecticut a disservice to allow Shell to continually have the way that suits them best at the time."