Rell Wants FERC to Postpone Broadwater Decision

Governor Jodi Rell has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to take Broadwater off its agenda for Thursday, arguing that the New York State government is in flux and Governor David Paterson will need time to brush up on the issue.

That may be, but why should that concern FERC, which hasn't been bothered by any of New York State's serious misgivings about Broadwater before?

The Department of Environmental Conservation has said Broadwater's environmental impact statement is incomplete, that it doesn't contain adequate information to analyze all the environmental affects of the big LNG platform.

But that hasn't stopped FERC.

The state Department of State has said there's strong evidence that Broadwater conflicts with state policies for use of the coastal zone.

But that hasn't stopped FERC.

Maybe Jodi Rell, a Republican, has the ear of FERC Chairman Joseph T. Kelliher. If so, great.

But FERC is not concerned with a true analysis of the environmental impacts, it's not concerned with the long-term well-being of Long Island Sound. FERC is not concerned with anything except approving Broadwater as quickly as possible.

So let them formalize the decision that everyone knows they're going to make anyway, and let's concentrate on stopping Broadwater in Albany.