"In this economy, we can't let opportunities like this slip away," Cirri said.
Elected officials are "responding to nimbyism and not looking at the broader perspective," said Steve Kearney, spokesman for the Sparrows Point Workforce Alliance.
"The more ships, the more jobs, the more prosperity we will have for the port," said Maryland Maritime Association spokesman Rupert Denney.
But Smith said, "You are talking about short-term jobs with a long-term disaster potential."
The conditions that FERC's staff recommended last month "will protect public safety and mitigate any adverse environmental impact and assure the AES Sparrows Point LNG Project will provide service in a safe and secure manner and provide fuel to generate electricity and heat homes," Kelliher said.
However, Gov. Martin O'Malley said the decision "flies in the face of every tenet of environmental justice." He added that the facility "could have catastrophic security and environmental implications for our state."
Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger criticized the timing of the vote, five days before the Obama administration takes office. "We will work with all of the agencies involved in this process to investigate ways to stop this plan from moving forward."
U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski said FERC has rubber-stamped a project without investigating all the issues. "In doing so, they've chosen to ignore the safety and security of Marylanders," she said. "I will work to ensure every mitigation measure is met and the community is protected."
Residents along the proposed pipeline's route have complained repeatedly to lawmakers about the impact on their quality of life. The pipeline is to run through Baltimore, Harford and Cecil counties on its way to southern Pennsylvania.
AES Corp., which declined to comment yesterday, has 30 days to accept the commission's conditions and 90 days to submit implementation plans. Other parties to the case have 30 days to appeal the decision.
Smith said he would be seeking advice from his legal staff on a possible appeal. "There is optimism that in the end, right will prevail," he said.
Vote conditions
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved a plan to build a liquefied natural gas terminal in Sparrows Point and a pipeline to Pennsylvania with conditions that include requiring the developer to:
* Address the disposal of dredge materials.
* Provide additional maritime safety and security measures, and make safety and operational changes to the terminal's design.
* Consult with wildlife officials before pipeline construction begins to determine if the bog turtle and Indiana bat will be affected, and develop a plan to minimize impact on sensitive habitats.
* Revise plans to deal with the impact of the pipeline on homes and farmland.
