DE continues the fight against NJ and BP Petro on LNG Terminal:

[cyberpj]

Del. says regulators erred in LNG decision
07/21/2006

Federal energy regulators neglected their duties and violated regulations in granting BP a license last month to build a liquefied natural gas terminal along the Delaware River opposite Claymont, according to a Delaware petition released this morning.

In a request for a re-hearing by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Delaware officials argued the agency illegally ignored state findings that the project conflicts with the state’s coastal area protection laws.

FERC commissioners, Delaware added, approved an application for the BP Crown Landing site “while refusing to resolve numerous” environmental and state oversight issues. Some of FERC’s actions, Delaware argued, appear to be an effort to evade public hearing and comment requirements.

New Jersey has separately asked the U.S. Supreme Court to bar Delaware from exercising control over its part of the river in cases involving industrial developments extending from the Jersey shoreline.

Delaware has claimed New Jersey filed the case to benefit BP. The company plans to spend $600 million on the new terminal, and will pay millions in tax revenues to struggling South Jersey communities while delivering LNG shipments worth billions every year.

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060721/NEWS/60721011/1006/NEWS

[cyberpj]

1. From Saturday article: Delaware's request cited a wide range of issues:

Delaware's request cited a wide range of issues, including:

•Agency failure to fully examine impacts on boating, wetlands and aquatic life as well as consequences of dredging during construction of a nearly 2,000-foot delivery pier.

•A need to better consider alternative sites and risks from accidental releases or terrorist attacks.

•Barriers to public and Delaware participation in decisions left unsettled at the time of FERC's approval.

"The terminal will also bring massive LNG tankers and LNG storage facilities into close contact with Delaware's citizens, exposing them to risks of significant harm, such as from vapor cloud fires, caused by anything from human error to terrorist activities," the state's rehearing request said.

Contact Jeff Montgomery at 678-4277 or [e-mail].

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060722/NEWS/607220339/1006

[cyberpj]

2. Update 08/15/06:

BP claims the profitable timing of its Alaska pipe shutdown can be explained because they've only now run a "smart pig" through the pipes to locate the corrosion. The "pig" is an electronic drone that BP should have been using continuously, though they had not done so for 14 years.

Sources at BP have said they were trying to save money by skipping on inspections. Why? Because the soaring oil and gasoline prices only propelled BP PLC to a $7.3 billion second-quarter profit, a 30 percent increase from last year? Do you need anything else to assure you that BP could care less about safety and environment?

If you tend to forget, just remember the explosion at its Texas City, Texas, refinery last year that killed 15 people.

BP's lovely ads with all the pretty scenes of nature and the number of photos of solar panels in their annual report are designed to convince us they care about our world. They even painted all their gas stations green to show us they care about the environment.

We all know that green is for the billions of dollars they pocket at our expense and safety.