Barbara Boxer: “I am pleased to co-sponsor Senator Feinstein's amendment to provide Governors with veto authority on the siting of…”

“I am pleased to co-sponsor Senator Feinstein's amendment to provide Governors with veto authority on the siting of onshore liquified natural gas, LNG, facilities. This is an extremely important issue in California, and I commend my colleague for her amendment. The energy bill we are debating hands full authority for LNG siting decisions to a federal entity, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC. It denies States a role in deciding whether and where LNG terminals may be located on our coastlines. This is a misguided proposal. Does FERC have a better understanding than a State's Governor of the potential environmental impact of an LNG facility located on or near the State's shore? Does FERC better understand the potential safety risk of facilities located near residential areas? Is FERC better qualified than a State to judge whether a proposed LNG facility would pose an unacceptable security risk to the area? Can FERC make a better judgment than the Governor of a State as to whether the benefits of an LNG facility will outweigh the drawbacks? The answer to all of these questions is ``no.'' Only individual States can determine the best solution for their citizens when so much is at stake in terms of safety, security, and the sanctity of our environment. We in California are all too aware that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's decisions may not be in our best interests.…”