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Reaction Comes To Decision On LNG Facility

By Steve Alexander Reporter

Published: Thu, October 09, 2008 - 9:21 pm Last Updated: Fri, October 10, 2008 - 4:56 pm

Short URL: http://wkrg.com/a/19866/

Steve Alexander

Plenty of people are talking about a Texas company's decision to withdraw its proposal to build a Liquefied Natural Gas or LNG facility off Dauphin Island.
The decision by Torp Technology comes two days after Alabama Governor Bob Riley told the company he had problems with the plan.
Mobile Baykeeper Executive Director Casi Callaway was happy about the decision.
She had been opposed to the open loop terminal proposal because of how it could affect marine life and fisheries.
Callaway said, "By fisheries, you're talking about commercial and recreational. You're talking about quality of life. You're talking about our play time out in the water and the reasons that we come to the coast."
Roland McRae is the owner of the Cedar Point Fishing Pier just north of Dauphin Island.
He, too, was happy with the decision.
McRae said, "It'll kill billions of red fish larvae and things like this. All your fish, your crabs, every industry all the way down would be affected by this."
Larry Hunter works on Dauphin Island and said he comes fishing here almost every weekend.
Hunter said, "I just think it would be bad to have that water sucked up through the LNG that's going to kill the fish, kill a lot of sea life. We just don't need it here."
In 2006, the ConocoPhillips Corporation wanted to use an open loop system for a different LNG facility off Dauphin Island.
But Governor Riley opposed that project, too.