Court strikes down LNG barrier

Federal judges on Monday overturned a Baltimore County law banning liquefied natural gas plants in sensitive coastal areas, marking the second failed challenge to a proposed LNG facility on Sparrows Point.

A panel of judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals ? one level below the Supreme Court ? said the federal government has the exclusive authority to determine the siting of LNG plants. The ruling is a victory for Virginia-based AES Corp., which is planning a $400 million facility near the Key Bridge.