WARWICK – Mayor Scott Avedisian today lauded the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s decision to deny an application for an expanded liquefied natural gas facility in Providence.
“Obviously, we were deeply concerned about the adverse impacts that an LNG facility would have on Warwick’s quality of life, public safety initiatives, economy and municipal budget,” Avedisian said. “I applaud the FERC’s decision, and thank them for listening to the concerns of the residents of this state. I also thank Governor Carcieri, Attorney General Lynch and the cities of East Providence and Providence for their steadfast efforts to make known our shared opposition to this proposal.”
Avedisian said if Keyspan should chose to challenge FERC’s decision, the City of Warwick will continue to remain opposed to the plan.
Avedisian has been on record against the LNG facility proposal since last summer, when he asked Councilwoman Sue Stenhouse to sponsor a resolution before the City Council expressing the city’s opposition to the plan. In February, he also wrote to U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander, chairman of the Senate’s Subcommittee on Energy, voicing for the record the city’s objections. In March, the city had also petitioned the court for permission to participate in proceedings relative to the LNG proposal and was allowed, along with the cities of Providence and East Providence, to file “friend of the court” briefs in the matter.