Congress Fuels Fire Between FERC, States

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

By Richard Simon, Times Staff Writer


WASHINGTON — State officials from California to Rhode Island are fuming over a provision, slipped into the massive year-end spending bill expected to clear Congress next week, that says federal regulators should decide where liquefied natural gas terminals are built.

Many lawmakers say they didn't know about the provision when they voted for the voluminous bill last month.




But state regulators know about it — and they don't like it. They said it could make it harder for them to block facilities that could harm the environment or pose safety and security risks.

The provision seems to leave the Republican-controlled Congress leaning against its natural tendency to support states' rights. But the language reflects the determination of President Bush and his congressional allies to increase energy supplies, especially in the face of predicted increases in natural gas prices.

California appears to be the target of the provision. The state has gone to court challenging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's claim that it has sole authority to decide whether an LNG facility will be built in Long Beach. The facility would receive imported natural gas that had been cooled to a liquid so that it could be transported by ship rather than pipeline.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-lng3dec03,0,6500996.story?coll=la-home-nation

[TaleWgnDg]

1. So-called "states rights" is bogus and always has been bogus.

Why has "states rights" always been bogus? Because it's always been the rhetoric and mantra of the groups and/or political party not in power at the time.

Now that George Walker Bush and the rest of his radical rightwingnuts are in power, they no longer want nor need so-called "states rights." It's as simple as that.

Do you seriously believe that George Walker Bush wants state interference with his energy boys with their wide-open pockets? Heh. This has been occurring in other federal agencies and in other areas of law where the feds are screaming about "conflict of laws" and federal supremacy of law.

Hello, America???????

[phantom power]

2. This business of all these provisions that "nobody knew about"

ought to be the big, front-page story of the season.

I mean, they didn't know what they were voting on. And, not just the occasional, freak occurrence, but provision after provision.

What could be more disastrous for a government, when the legislators don't even have control over what they're passing?

[damntexdem]

3. The Bushista rightwing has no morals.

They pursue their goals, largely those of the corporations, without concern for the effects on the populace. They will call for 'states rights' when it suits their purpose, and destroy state autonomy when that suits their purposes.

[Moderator]

4. Duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1041353