Environmental Commitment
The Weaver's Cove Energy LNG project will benefit the environment by supplying New England with additional supplies of natural gas - the cleanest fossil fuel. Over the past five years, all large new electric power plants in New England, including those in southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, have been designed to burn natural gas to meet stringent air quality standards. This will result in a significant improvement in the quality of the air we breathe, as natural gas produces fewer particulates and other pollutants than oil or coal. New gas-fired power plants are also more efficient than oil- and coal-fired plants and use less fuel to produce the same amount of electricity, reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. Although the region is looking toward an increased reliance on renewable energy sources, renewable sources cannot immediately and totally replace our dependence on established fossil fuels in today’s world. Renewables as well as natural gas will and should have a growing place in our future energy picture.
Although we are committed to avoiding and minimizing as many impacts as possible, there will be some environmental impacts associated with the development of this project that cannot be avoided and will therefore be mitigated through a series of habitat and water quality improvement projects funded by Weaver’s Cove.
The Weaver's Cove Energy LNG terminal will benefit the environment by supplying New England with additional supplies of natural gas - the cleanest fossil fuel. Over the past five years, all large new electric power plants in New England, including those in southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, have been designed to burn natural gas to meet stringent air quality standards. This will result in a significant improvement in the quality of the air we breathe, as natural gas produces less particulates and other pollutants than oil or coal. New gas-fired power plants are also more efficient than oil- and coal-fired plants and use less fuel to produce the same amount of electricity. Potential temporary impacts on the surrounding areas from the LNG terminal include water quality, visual impacts, air quality and noise pollution during construction and impacts to historical resources.
Water Quality
The transport of LNG through ocean waters, rivers and bays has an excellent environmental record. The record of LNG transport is spotless - over 45,000 ship deliveries since the inception of the commercial LNG trade in the 1960’s without any spills onto the water.
The project’s dredging program has been extensively reviewed and includes detailed physical and chemical analysis of the sediments to be removed, as well as studies evaluating how the sediment might travel and impact the marine environment during the dredging process. Potential impacts are of limited duration and limited extent. The project will be required to meet stringent state and federal water quality standards throughout the dredging operation. As previously reported in the final EIS for the Approved Project, sampling and analysis of sediments in both Mount Hope Bay and the lower Taunton River were conducted by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (MCZM) and other regulatory agencies
As documented in the FERC record, all sediments from the Approved Project have been determined to be suitable for offshore disposal (only the cleanest sediments are approved for offshore disposal) by the USACE and USEPA. Based on that determination, Weaver’s Cove proposes to dispose of the sediments associated with the Approved Project offshore at either of the two proximate federally designated disposal sites, the RISDS and/or the MBDS. Additionally, testing is largely completed for sediments from the offshore berth project and are currently being reviewed by the USACE and the USEPA. We are confident that these sediments will also be suitable for offshore disposal.
Visual Impact
The proposed site for the onshore LNG terminal has been a home to industry for decades. The site was used actively from 1920 to the mid 1990s for importing, refining and processing, storing and distributing petroleum products. Existing structures on the site include empty storage tanks and an office building. The LNG terminal development is consistent with this past industrial use. The most obvious feature of the LNG terminal facility will be the storage tank. This storage tank will be approximately 300 feet in diameter and 200 feet in height. Earthen beams, landforms and other landscaping features may be constructed to minimize the visual impact of the tank. All of the old storage tanks will be removed and the surface area of the site cleaned up before we begin construction of the new facilities.
The offshore berth will be located in Mount Hope Bay in Massachusetts waters in the Town of Somerset, approximately 4.25 miles south of the Weaver’s Cove LNG terminal site and approximately 2.0 miles south of the Braga Bridge.
Construction of the project will result in temporary visual impacts due to the increased vessel traffic and the operation of construction equipment in Mount Hope Bay and the Taunton River. At night, the use of vessel lights during construction will be short-term, temporary, and transient. Deck lights will be down-shielded to prevent upward illumination and will not intentionally illuminate surrounding waters.
After construction is completed, there will be no visual impacts associated with the presence of the proposed Mount Hope Bay turning basin, approach channel, or buried PiP transfer system. During operations, the permanent offshore structures associated with the offshore berth will be visible from certain vantage points in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. When at berth, LNG tankers will be visible due to their length and height. While the LNG tankers are large, it should be noted that other large commercial vessels (although somewhat smaller than LNG tankers), such as coal ships that operate within the Taunton River and Mount Hope Bay, are visible from the shoreline. In addition, illumination of the offshore berth platform will be installed for safety of night operations and the security of the facility. Navigation warning lights will also be installed for the safety of boat traffic in the bay. Facility lighting will be in accordance with applicable operation codes and proper security practices. Operational and security lighting on the jetty platform will be downcast to minimize off-site visibility. When unloading at the berth in the evening hours, the LNG tanker will be illuminated according to marine safety and security standards. Lighting required to support tanker unloading operations on the jetty can be switched off independently when an LNG tanker is not present. While the project will contribute to the net volume of illumination, the extent of existing ambient illumination is such that the project will probably contribute less than the neighboring power plants or bridges, and is not anticipated to create a significant increase in nighttime lighting levels.
Air Quality/Noise
The operational facilities at the offshore berth and LNG terminal will not be a major source of air or noise pollution. LNG terminals, thanks to their design, are clean and quiet compared to most industrial operations. Noise related to the construction of the terminal may be noticeable from properties immediately adjacent to the site during the three year construction period. To the extent possible, construction noise on the site will be limited to the hours between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Noise related to pipeline construction will be limited to a concentrated area and for a relatively short period of time.
Historic Resources
Fall River is an area rich in historic resources. The city's industrial past is evident in the many historic mill buildings. Weaver's Cove Energy is required to consider the impact of the proposed project on historic and archeological resources within the project area. Site specific studies have been completed for the areas to be dredged, the plant site and the pipeline routes. There are no known archeological resources within the main plant area or within the proposed dredging areas. There are a number of historic sites that have been identified along the pipeline routes and these are being reviewed and addressed under the permitting process, just as is done for any utility work where soils are disturbed. Historic resources in the project area include buildings registered on the National Register of Historic Landmarks. The only aspect of these properties which could be potentially impacted by the LNG Terminal is the view, since the LNG storage tank and offshore berth will be visible from some properties in Fall River and Somerset. Weaver's Cove Energy has completed an extensive analysis to examine the potential impacts of the storage tank and offshore berth on the views from these historic properties. Visual impacts from the pipeline route are limited to a short period of time during the construction effort and the pipeline routes will be restored to their pre-construction state after the lines are laid.
