April 21, 2022 (PROVIDENCE, RI) – Rhode Island’s Energy Facility Siting Board has rejected Sea 3 Providence’s petition requesting permission to expand its Providence propane facility without submitting an application to the Board. Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) released the following statement in response.
“It’s clear that we can’t wait any longer to fight climate change,” says James Crowley, Staff Attorney for CLF Rhode Island. “Rhode Island has a climate law that demands cuts to polluting emissions – and this irresponsible expansion would absolutely lead to more emissions. The Board made the right call in requiring a full review and safeguarding our health and future in the face of the climate crisis.”
The company petitioned the Board to allow it to expand its facility in the Port of Providence and receive liquid propane gas via rail without the Board’s review. Liquid propane gas is a fossil fuel that is highly explosive, and produces harmful, climate-damaging emissions when burned for heat. The proposed expansion would result in this dangerous fuel being transported through our neighborhoods by rail, as well as the additional use of propane as a heating fuel. What’s worse, nearby neighborhoods like Washington Park are already bearing an unequal burden of pollution and climate impacts.
Now, Sea 3 will have to submit a full application for review to the Board, enabling a full review of the environmental and human impacts of the proposed expansion.
CLF experts are available for further comment.
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