Atlantic Sea Island is joined by leading environmental technology expert as firm advances its proposal to create LNG terminal
to serve NY-NJ metro area
 Jessie Roberson
(New York, NY) Atlantic Sea Island Group, LLC, today announced that Ms. Jessie Roberson, a nationally respected management expert in the field of environmental technology and a former Assistant U.S. Secretary of Energy, will join the Safe Harbor Energy team as the firm advances it plan for a strategic liquefied natural gas (LNG) deepwater terminal on a 60.5 acre man-made island some 23 miles from New York Harbor and 19 miles from New Jersey.
Howard Bovers, Chairman of the Atlantic Sea Island Group, stated, "This appointment underscores our commitment to ensuring a safe, reliable energy source for our region's future. For nearly twenty years Ms. Roberson has been directly involved in environmental operations and regulatory compliance programs, risk management, environmental technology and federal legislation that touches every aspect of our proposal.
Ms. Roberson's prior experience included President of a Director of Global Professional Services Division at CH2M Hill, where she managed engineering and consulting services for the environmental and energy sectors, domestically and internationally. She also served as Director of Regulatory Programs at Exelon Corporation where she provided governance, oversight and risk management for all environmental programs including air, land, water, recycling and waste.
Between 2000 and 2004, Ms. Roberson served as an Assistant U.S. Secretary of Energy, where she served as the Agency's primary interface with Federal and state environmental organizations and primary spokesperson with media and external organizations regarding a broad range of environmental matters. She managed all professional, scientific, technical, managerial and administrative aspects of the nation's Environmental Management Program.
Ms. Roberson also acted as a lead negotiator with regulatory officials to negotiate, implement, obtain approvals/permits/certifications and licenses relating to environmental projects and emerging challenges, pollution control systems, Environmental Management System Certification and waste management activities.
Ms. Roberson managed the historic Rocky Flats Nuclear Waste Site clean up for six years. The most important challenge of the project was compliance with all clean air standards. She developed advanced models and deployed new technologies which proved so effective they were incorporated into the DOE's Management Procedures and deployed across all agency facilities. The management approach developed and employed for this project has been documented in a book "Making the Impossible Possible," and is utilized in graduate and business school curriculum.
Ms. Roberson received the National Black Engineers Award in 1996 for Professional Achievement in Government.
A solid base for reliable energy supplies
Located some 13.5 miles south of Long Beach, Long Island, far from population centers and outside vital shipping lanes, Safe Harbor is designed to bring reliable, cost effective global gas supplies to the New York metro region and the northeast United States.
Safe Harbor Energy will have the capacity to initially deliver up to 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas each day to 65 million consumers, ending the area's dependence on natural gas shipped up to 1200 miles from Gulf Coast terminals. The new terminal will store the LNG in four on-site tanks before regasifying the fuel to natural gas for transmission into the regional pipeline transmission system.
Safe Harbor Energy is designed with security, safety and environmental features a priority including meeting a 200-year storm design standard, self-sufficient systems for water supply, wastewater management, energy, fire and safety, and using "best available technology" consistent with the requirements of the Deepwater Port Act.
[The Record, Sunday, March 29, 2009]
"In another era, such a bold and unconventional proposal might be dismissed as a pipe dream. But it comes as Governor Corzine pushes innovative clean energy projects, such as wind farms off Atlantic City, to make New Jersey a leader in the fight against global warming. And President Obama's policies may lead to more gas-fired rather than coal-burning power plants, increasing demand for natural gas.
The liquefied natural gas project could supply up to 30 percent of the natural gas the region uses to run electric plants, heat homes, and power stoves and other home appliances, according to the investors, the Atlantic Sea Island Group...
...Environmentalists who support the idea say LNG is a relatively clean fuel that could help wean America off its dependence on coal and oil and serve as a stopgap until wind, solar and other renewable energy sources are developed.
Importing liquefied natural gas by tanker poses fewer environmental hazards than drilling for natural gas on the U.S. mainland, Tittel said. Domestic drilling requires chemicals that Tittel said can pollute drinking water aquifers. The environment is also disturbed when pipelines are built to access new sources of natural gas...
...The project has support from trade unions. It would create 90 permanent jobs on the island, and 300 to 500 jobs during construction, Bovers said.
"This country desperately needs infrastructure projects," Bovers said. "Where else do you find a project that could have a positive impact on 30 million people? And we have the best location."
-- Entrepreneur envisions man-made island to house natural-gas facility
-- Building a New Island Takes a lot of Rock
-- Jersey Native Pitches Controversial Plan
The Nassau Suffolk Building Trades endorsed plans today to build a Safe Harbor Energy Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility some 23 miles from New York Harbor and 19 miles from New Jersey. The facility would provide 4 million man-hours of work for construction trades throughout the region while ensuring safe, secure access to this clean, crucial fuel.
James Castellane, President of the Building Trades, stated,
“Deemed `complete’ by the Coast Guard after two year’s worth of study and research, this proposal will now undergo a vigorous review by various government agencies that range from security to environmental. But this much is clear: Built on an island far out to sea, it will be distant from populated communities, protective of the ocean environment, and provide us with the means to ensure an adequate supply of LNG that is heating more homes, factories and offices. The building trades intend to be part of the process that gets it built.”
The construction trades represent some 62,000 union members throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties and have been a strong force for progressive construction that protects the economy, the environment and the region’s quality of life.
| 
