Now that it has a quorum of members, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission formally has vacated its 2014 order allowing Arlington Storage to store natural gas in abandoned underground salt caverns on the southwest side of Seneca Lake.
The Dec. 21 action was expected once FERC had a sufficient number of members to act. Arlington Storage had asked FERC to vacate the order due to market changes.
Nonetheless, Gas Free Seneca, which opposed the original natural gas storage proposal, applauded the official vacating of the order.
“We see this as a huge win for the residents and businesses in the Finger Lakes and now it’s up to Gov. (Andrew) Cuomo, working with DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos, to conclude the plans by this out of state oil and gas corporation to turn the Finger Lakes into a gas storage and transport hub for the Northeast by denying the permit for the LPG storage in unlined, abandoned salt caverns that were never intended to store anything, much less volatile, explosive liquid gas,” Joseph Campbell of Gas Free Seneca said.
Gas Free Seneca teamed with lawyers from Earthjustice to mount legal challenges and to appeal decisions by FERC to delay expansion of natural gas storage that FERC has originally granted to Arlington Storage, a subsidiary of Crestwood Midstream.
FL Times:
Read More