Melinda Rodriguez, President and CEO of the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce, explains why the Chamber supports LNG in the Rio Grande Valley
Read the full article online at the Rio Grande Guardian website, an excerpt can be seen below:
On behalf of the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce, I attended the FERC scoping meeting and provided a statement in support of the LNG industry. The following are excerpts from my statement made at the FERC scoping meeting yesterday:
The three proposed LNG facilities project a combined investment in our community of about $10 billion. This is an unprecedented level of investment in South Texas and will have numerous positive impacts. I am enthusiastic about the economic impact that the proposed LNG export facilities can have on our communities, while connecting the Rio Grande Valley to the global LNG trade. All three LNG companies, Annova LNG, Rio Grande LNG, and Texas LNG are members of the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce and have already demonstrated a willingness to participate in community and Chamber events. We appreciate their support and commitment to our community.
We have seen widespread community support for these three projects. These projects will have numerous positive impacts including the creation of high paying jobs; promotion of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education; and adding tens of millions of dollars to local taxing districts. Each LNG facility, if built today, would be by far the largest taxpayer in Cameron County.
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Read the full article online at the Rio Grande Guardian website.
More Information on Rio Grande LNG and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Scoping Process:
SCOPING MEETINGS, in addition to providing the public with the opportunity to submit official comment to the FERC, are designed to give interested parties the opportunity to learn more about the Project and its review process directly from Project team members and FERC staffers. Rio Grande LNG is currently in the early pre-filing stage of the regulatory process, which allows Project sponsors and stakeholders the opportunity to identify and resolve potential issues, and incorporate modifications to the final design of the project, prior to filing a full application.
Rio Grande LNG is a proposed Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) export facility. Rio Grande LNG has signed an option-to-lease agreement for a 1,000-acre site zoned for industrial use at the Port of Brownsville. The Project is positioned to create a substantial positive economic impact to the South Texas region, with an expected initial investment in excess of $8 billion. The Rio Bravo Pipeline is a roughly 140-mile proposed new natural gas pipeline that will be built to provide feed gas for the Rio Grande LNG facility.
ECONOMIC IMPACT: For the first phase of the project, the initial investment is expected to be in excess of $8 billion. Rio Grande LNG is expected to create 4,000-6,000 construction jobs, more than 200 fulltime jobs, good salaries, skills training and support thousands more indirect jobs. Rio Grande LNG and Rio Bravo Pipeline are committed to hiring and buying locally whenever possible and have set up an interested vendor registration portal.
SAFETY: LNG is an odorless, non-flammable, non-toxic liquid that has been safely and securely shipped around the world for more than 50 years. LNG has a strong track record of safety, particularly in comparison to other common fuel types. In the highly unlikely event of an LNG spill, no environmental cleanup is needed because 100 percent of the LNG evaporates and dissipates, leaving no residue. Rio Grande LNG will always put safety first.
ENVIRONMENT: Rio Grande LNG is proposed for a zoned industrial area on the Port of Brownsville ship channel and is not located in designated critical wildlife habitat area. Rio Grande LNG will meet or exceed all air quality, environmental and regulatory requirements.
REGULATORY PROCESS: The LNG industry is one of the most highly regulated industries in the world. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) oversees this important process, including multiple public input and comment periods. A comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is part of this process and the Scoping Meetings play an important role in this. Rio Grande LNG is currently in the early pre-filing stage, providing project sponsors and stakeholders the opportunity to identify and resolve potential issues prior to the Project filing its full application, estimated for early 2016. If approved and the final investment decision is made, construction is expected to begin in June 2017. Operations would begin in Q4 2020. OUR
VALUES: Rio Grande LNG puts safety first, works to minimize environmental impacts and is committed to being a good neighbor and responsible corporate citizen. The company believes that strong communication with the community is essential and is working to maximize the positive impact for the community, including developing relationships with local colleges and trades schools about workforce training programs. Rio Grande LNG is also exploring the possibility of an LNG trucking and fueling distribution center that will provide clean-burning natural gas as vehicle fuel to the region. This would be the first effort of its kind in South Texas.
ABOUT THE FACILITY: Rio Grande LNG is proposed for a 1,000-acre site zoned for industrial use on the Port of Brownsville ship channel. The Project is seeking approval for six liquefaction trains, each with nominal LNG output capacity of 4.5 million metric tons per year. The terminal is being engineered and constructed by CB&I, a world-class LNG engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company, using proven, safe, reliable design and technology. CB&I has designed and built LNG terminals in the U.S and around the world while maintaining an award-winning safety record. In 2015, CB&I received the prestigious Green Cross Award for Safety from the National Safety Council. CB&I is the first construction company ever to be granted this award.
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