A proposed natural gas terminal at Sparrows Point overcame a crucial hurdle yesterday when the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would not consider an appeal by Baltimore County that sought to stop the project.
The court's decision eliminated what proponents said could be the last legal obstacle to construction of the liquefied natural gas plant at the former shipyard near Dundalk. The plan still must receive federal approval, and county officials said yesterday that they will continue to fight the project.
"The Supreme Court's decision makes us closer to putting shovels in the dirt in fall of 2009," said Rod Easter, president of the Maryland State and Washington D.C. Building Trades Council, who estimated that about 400 workers would take four years to build the plant.
Similar expressions of support came from other labor union leaders who foresee a potential economic upside to the plant and an 88-mile pipeline that is to carry the gas to southern Pennsylvania.
But opposition remained strong, particularly among people who live near Sparrows Point or whose properties will be traversed by the pipeline. Many have raised safety concerns, among them Ann Paszkiewicz, whose 12-acre property near Fallston High School in Harford County on which she had planned to build a house, is in the pipe's path.
"Four hundred temporary jobs!" she sneered. "What a shame for the bay and the environment."
Baltimore County officials had sought to challenge a federal appellate court ruling in May that found they had violated the Natural Gas Act when they changed zoning regulations to prohibit construction of such terminals in coastal areas.
Ellen Kobler, a spokeswoman for the Baltimore County government, said: "We're obviously disappointed that the Supreme Court chose not to hear this case, but the county will continue to work closely with our state and congressional leaders to fight this dangerous facility. Keep in mind that there's still a very long road ahead, with extensive reviews and regulatory processes."
Kobler said that beyond the safety and environmental concerns surrounding the plant, James T. Smith Jr., Baltimore County's chief executive, believes it to be "extremely bad national energy policy to further increase our dependence on foreign energy sources."
