Rumson Council Opposes Building of Fossil Fuel Facilities

Rumson’s elected officials passed a resolution opposing the building of fossil fuel facilities along the New Jersey and New York coastline at the Council meeting Tuesday.

In the past, there had been opposition from residents against Liberty Natural Gas’s proposal to install a Liquefied Natural Gas terminal off the coast of Sea Bright. The June 10 resolution specifically addresses the dangers of the LNG process, saying that the facilities would “permanently exclude the public from portions of the Atlantic Ocean that will be off-limits to public access for boating, fishing, and renewable energy development.”

Members from local environmental groups attended to voice their appreciation for the decision, which addresses an issue that they had been working on for years. Cindy Zipf, the executive director of Clean Ocean Action, also mentioned the importance of the new resolution’s ability to cover a variety of risks rather than just a specific one.

“We are very grateful for tonight’s vote, where you not only took it in one fell swoop, opposition to the liquefied natural gas facility that we have been fighting now for about since 2007, but also any fossil fuel facility,” Zipf said.

Christine O’Rourke, one of the founders of the grassroots group called Quench, believes that that the passing of this resolution could lead to other environmentally-friendly resolutions.

“I think every resolution they cast they’re more inclined to continue that effort. I also think that we serve as a role model to the surrounding towns to begin to do the same thing. You know, if little by little the town takes it on, you know, that’s the state,” O’Rourke said.

For more information about environmental events and news concerning Quench, visit www.quenchnj.com

Information about Clean Ocean Action’s events and news can be found at www.cleanoceanaction.org 

To keep up to date on the resolution, follow the Rumson Borough website at http://www.rumsonnj.gov/index.htm