A federal lawmaker wants to force the company proposing a liquefied natural gas plant at the Sparrows Point shipyard to identify the people it is allegedly paying to publicly support the project.
Democratic Rep. C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger said he?s introducing legislation in response to Dundalk residents claiming energy firm AES Corp. is paying people to promote the project at meetings and write supportive letters to newspaper editors without disclosure. The law would require the federal agency that will approve or reject the plant to create an online database of lobbyists.
“If they want to go out anddo this, that?s fine,” Ruppersberger said at a news conference. “Just let us know.”
But AES officials denied paying anyone to support the project and accused Dundalk activists ? who call the plant a time bomb for residents living just more than a mile from the site ? of circulating their own misleading information.
“Categorically, no, we have not, do not and will not pay anyone to write letters in support of our project,” Gemroth said. “We find it surprising that legislation would be introduced unsubstantiated.”
Leaders of the self-dubbed LNG Opposition Team have erroneously told reporters the shipyard is a federally protected Superfund site, said company spokesman Zack Gemroth. The site is not a Superfund site, according to Environmental Protection Agency manager Andrew Fan. The agency removed the site from a consent decree in June after the Maryland Department of the Environment moved it into a voluntary cleanup program at the request of proprietor Vincent Barletta.
Ruppersberger and Dundalk activists said the dredging required to accommodate massive LNG tankers would release toxic sediments settled beneath the harbor. Gemroth said the company recently completed tests and found the sediments are consistent with those elsewhere in Baltimore?s Inner Harbor.
