An environmental department has proposed new laws to allow liquefied natural gas stations to be built in New York State.

LNG has been the subject of much debate since the 1970s, when it caused an explosion in Staten Island that killed 40 people. It can be dangerous and explosive because to be used, it needs to be kept under tremendous pressure and cold temperatures, said Michael Kelleher, executive director of Energy and Sustainability at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, who looks at the economics of liquefied natural gas.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is testing LNG as transportation fuel to make sure that it is safe and not causing any problems before it is used in any other areas, Kelleher said.

Protestors gathered to voice their environmental and safety concerns at the Syracuse fairgrounds during an Oct.16 public information meeting about LNG held by the NYSDEC.

LNG’s extraction requires the use of hydraulic fracturing. “It pollutes water and causes many equity issues,” said Nicole Harbodt, a sophomore environmental science major, referring to the fact that poorer communities often have worse-quality water. “There is no regulation on it, so it’s hard to tell what the effects will be because we don’t know how much water they’re contaminating.”

Harbodt is also a student organizer for Divest SU and ESF, which is a group that is currently working to persuade university officials to get rid of investments in large oil companies.

But Kelleher doesn’t oppose hydrofracking and doesn’t think the university should divest from oil companies yet because there aren’t enough financially viable alternatives.

The long-term consequences of using liquefied natural gas depend on what it would be replacing, Kelleher said. If liquefied natural gas is compared to solar or wind power, it has fossil fuel emissions and potential environmental damages. If liquefied natural gas is used in vehicles to replace oil, it could provide environmental benefits, he explained.

About half of the electricity in the country is generated through the use of coal, Kelleher said, adding that virtually all fuel for transportation comes from oil.

“To the extent that you would liquefy gas to put it into a tank or vehicle, it could potentially reduce environmental damages,” he said.

Harbodt, who also protested the use of hydrofracking at a climate rally in Washington, D.C. last year, said she believes that people are wrong to see the transition from coal to natural gas as progress. She added that people should pursue wind and solar power instead.

Said Harbodt: “Personally, I think we’re just picking another poison.”

Published on October 28, 2013 at 12:26 am