LNG task force reviews Mt. Hope Bay

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - President of the Senate M. Teresa Paiva Weed has started a special Senate task force to review the proposed construction of an LNG offshore loading platform on Mount Hope Bay.

The U.S. Coast Guard has determined that the state's waterways can hold 950-foot supertankers carrying tens of millions of gallons of the combustible liquid fuel. It will travel through the Narragansett Bay and Mount Hope Bay up to 70 times per year.

The Senate passed a resolution and Attorney General Patrick Lynch issued a formal appeal, citing several concerns regarding environmental impact, safety and economic strain. Both parties urged the US Coast Guard to reconsider its ruling. But the Coast Guard has maintained the decision.

Environmental groups such as Save the Bay, Save Bristol Harbor, the Kickemuit River Council, the Environmental Council of Rhode Island, NOLNG.org, and others, have also been vocal with their disapproval.

The Task Force will hold its first meeting later this month, and expects to complete its work by the end of March.