Cuomo blocks offshore natural gas project in New York

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Thursday vetoed a proposed offshore liquefied natural gas facility near Long Island. 

Environmental activists had pushed Cuomo to reject the Port Ambrose project, warning that it posed a risk to the Atlantic Ocean ecosystem near its proposed location, 20 miles off New York’s coast.

{mosads}Cuomo, who had until mid-December to decide on the fate of the project, agreed. In a letter to federal regulators, he raised questions about security on Port Ambrose, its vulnerability to severe weather and its impact on local fishing industries.

“We have determined that the security and economic risks far outweigh any potential benefits,” Cuomo said in his letter, Newsday reported. 

He added that Port Ambrose would “hinder the local maritime economy in a way that negatively impacts businesses throughout Long Island, and that is simply unacceptable. This is a common-sense decision, because vetoing this project is in the best interests of New Yorkers.”

The project’s developer, Liberty Natural Gas, told Newsday that it was “surprised and disappointed” by the decision. 

The company had hoped to invest $600 million into the Port Ambrose project, which would have pumped an average of 400 million cubic feed of natural gas per day into area gas pipelines.

But Cuomo said he was worried another storm like Hurricane Sandy could put the project at risk. He also cited the conflict between the project and a potential offshore wind farm, something federal officials are pushing. 

Green groups welcomed the decision Thursday.

“Increasingly, Governor Cuomo has demonstrated his commitment to being a leader in the fight to protect our communities from dangerous pollution and the devastating effects of the climate crisis,” Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune said in a statement.

“New York can and should be a national and global leader in growing the booming clean energy economy. The decisiveness Governor Cuomo has continued to demonstrate helps clear a path to further spur that growth.”