U.S. Department of Transportation Suspends LNG by Rail Rule
Buttigieg Urged to Stop Gibbstown Project for Good with New Rule
WASHINGTON D.C. — According to the Federal Register, the U.S. Department of Transportation has suspended a rule promulgated by the Trump Administration that permits liquefied natural gas (LNG) transport by rail. This significantly impedes a New Fortress Energy proposal to ship LNG by rail from Wyalusing, PA to Gibbstown, NJ, a key component of the Gibbstown LNG Export Project. The suspension will remain in effect until either the Department finalizes its replacement rule governing LNG transport by rail (which has not yet been proposed) or June 30, 2025, whichever is earlier. The Department has less than two years to finalize the replacement rule before the suspension runs out and LNG transport by rail can resume.
The following is reaction from Kimberly Ong, Senior Attorney at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):
"People of Pennsylvania and New Jersey living near key rail lines would have faced damage to their health, families, and homes in the event of a derailment. After pausing the rule, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg should put a new rule in place that restores the ban on LNG by rail once and for all. That would finally put an end to the threat to communities around Gibbstown and other communities targeted by similar dangerous projects."
“New Fortress Energy’s proposed LNG project endangers nearly two million people living near truck and rail transport routes. LNG is a volatile substance that can lead to fires and even explosions. The rail disaster in East Palestine, Ohio, earlier this year underscores how serious a train derailment involving hazardous substances can be.”
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law, and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health, and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd). Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.