TOMS RIVER – Senator John H. Adler, a member of the Senate Environment Committee, issued the following statement regarding off-shore liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals off the Jersey Shore after a joint hearing between the Senate and Assembly environmental panels on proposed terminal projects:
“New Jersey needs to look at increasing domestic production of natural gas to bring down energy costs for consumers in the Garden State. But the LNG proposals that are currently on the table would cause us to become more, not less, dependent on foreign energy production, while leaving us open to terrorist attack or environmental disaster.
“As fuel costs soar, it has become more and more important to find cheaper domestic energy sources. But we can’t let our pain at the pump and at the electric meter push us to adopt dangerous alternatives, such as LNG, which would continue to guarantee foreign dominance over our domestic energy needs.
“LNG facilities are a potential environmental nightmare and a homeland security risk we cannot afford. Rather than risking our safety and environment, we should be looking to clean, renewable energy, as well as an increase in domestic natural gas production, to meet our energy needs.
“As a nation, we need to look for homegrown solutions for our energy needs, which will decrease costs and bolster our economy. We should not be looking to trade one foreign energy dependency for another. Unfortunately, LNG would only provide more of the same for State residents looking for real solutions to our energy crisis.”
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