Ben Cardin: “this amendment I am introducing with Senators Mikulski, Dodd, Reed, Kennedy, Whitehouse, and Snowe would restore the…”

“this amendment I am introducing with Senators Mikulski, Dodd, Reed, Kennedy, Whitehouse, and Snowe would restore the authority of State and local governments to protect the environment and ensure public safety with respect to the siting of liquefied natural gas, LNG, terminals within their States. This measure simply gives our States a say in whether these kinds of facilities should be built within their boundaries and, if so, the exact location. The amendment adds a provision to the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899. Under that law, the Army Corps of Engineers, acting for the Secretary of the Army, is responsible for issuing permits to anyone who wants to build a structure in and above the waters of the United States. Currently, the Army Corps issues all such permits. In the narrow conditions outlined in our amendment, the Corps would have to get the concurrence of the affected State before issuing a permit to build an LNG terminal. That is all, just work with the States. It is just federalism. That is what federalism is all about, the Federal Government working with the States.”