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December 2007 - Surfrider Foundation NYC Chapter to Participate in Review of Proposed Manmade Island That May Alter New York and New Jersey Oceanic Ecosystems
The Atlantic Sea Island Group (ASIG) has submitted an application to build a mega-island 13 miles off the shores of Long Beach, NY, and 19 miles off Sandy Hook, NJ, to operate a Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) facility.
The 60.5-acre manmade island would have a 116-acre seafloor footprint and require dumping millions of tons of material into the ocean. Such an island has never been created in the open ocean and ASIG has no experience in offshore construction or with LNG.
Pointed concerns for Surfrider NYC surrounding this project include the artificial island's effects on local endangered species and its impact on prime fishing grounds, in addition to its effects on water quality flowing to New York's beaches, the quality of materials being dumped into the aquatic habitat, and the island's shoreline impact on southern swells.
New York and New Jersey are both designated "adjacent coastal states" and have the right to review and approve, approve with conditions, or disapprove the application. Both states are granted the opportunity for at least one public hearing to be held in each state, where groups and citizens will have opportunities to raise their concerns. These hearings are expected to be scheduled for sometime in January or February.
The Surfrider Foundation's NYC chapter has taken an active interest in participating in the dialogue on this issue, in order to ensure the protection of our precious coastal resources and water quality by addressing the potentially huge environmental and recreational implications of this massive project. We are working closely with Clean Ocean Action to coordinate our efforts and develop an overall strategy.
To take immediate action, please write to one or all of the following New York Dep't. of State Coastal Management personnel with any questions you have regarding this proposal:
Contact:
- Steven.Resler@dos.state.ny.us
- Andrew.Kasius@dos.state,ny.us
- Jeffery.Zappieri@dos.state.ny.us
Also, we encourage you to come to our chapter meetings in order to find out how to volunteer and otherwise participate in this important issue, which will affect all of us.
Thank you very much.
Surfrider Foundation, NYC Chapter
Exective Board
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