Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith Jr. announced yesterday his opposition to a proposed liquefied natural gas plant at Sparrows Point, saying the operation would be too risky.
"To bring almost daily shipments of liquefied natural gas up the Chesapeake Bay, under the Bay Bridge, into one of the busiest ports in the United States and into a major population center is just not reasonable and should not happen," Smith said.
Smith outlined his objections to the proposal at a news conference at a community center in Dundalk. He was joined by Baltimore County Council Chairman John A. Olszewski Sr., a Dundalk Democrat who this month sent a letter to AES Corp. describing his concerns about the global power supplier's plans. Also present were state elected officials from the area.
Last month, AES Corp. announced plans to build a $400 million LNG terminal on the site of the former Sparrows Point shipyard. Shipments of the super-chilled liquefied gas would arrive by tanker, and natural gas would be pumped from the plant through a pipeline to Pennsylvania. The project would create about 50 permanent jobs, according to officials with the Arlington, Va.-based company.
Smith said he feared the possibility of an accident or terrorist attack, and he said he was concerned about the environmental impact of dredging Bear Creek to accommodate the tankers carrying shipments of natural gas.
"We need to bring companies into the community that will provide good jobs and at the same time support a community where families can live and shop, as well as work," said Smith.
Also yesterday, Smith joined critics of the deal to allow a United Arab Emirates company to assume operations at six U.S. ports, including Baltimore's. "I think it's highly dangerous, at least until we've made some great strides in our port security," Smith said, adding that the issue of port security was another reason he is opposed to the LNG terminal.
Neighborhood groups have been increasingly vocal about their concerns with the project.
Signs that say "Warning: Stop LNG. Danger," are starting to appear on lawns. Several petitions against the project are circulating among neighborhood organizations. And the LNG proposal has been the subject of many community meetings.
