[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 17, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S695]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. BOXER:
  S. 323. A bill to require persons seeking approval for a liquefied 
natural gas facility to identify employees and agents engaged in 
activities to persuade communities of the benefits of the approval; to 
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I rise to discuss liquified natural gas 
projects in California. As of August of last year, there are five 
potential liquified natural gas projects in California. The projects 
include the Cabrillo Deepwater Port LNG Facility, Clearwater Port LNG 
Project, Long Beach LNG Facility, Ocean Way LNG Terminal, and the 
Pacific Gateway LNG Facility.
  LNG is natural gas in its liquid form. When natural gas is cooled to 
minus 259 degrees Fahrenheit, it becomes a clear, colorless, odorless 
liquid. Natural gas is transferred into LNG to transport it more 
easily.
  Although there is a need for natural gas, there are potential safety 
concerns with the siting of new LNG facilities. According to the 
California Energy Commission, ``LNG hazards result from three of its 
properties: cryogenic temperatures, dispersion characteristics, and 
flammability characteristics. The extremely cold LNG can directly cause 
injury or damage. A vapor cloud, formed by an LNG spill, could drift 
downwind into populated areas. It can ignite if the concentration of 
natural gas is between five and 15 percent in air and it encounters an 
ignition source. An LNG fire gives off a tremendous amount of heat.''
  This is why many people who live near a potential LNG facility have 
safety concerns. As a result, many companies try to ``sell'' the 
projects to communities.
  That is why today I am introducing this common sense bill. This bill 
is identical to legislation that I introduced in the 109th Congress.
  It would require any company seeking Federal Government approval to 
submit, as part or its application, the names of employees and business 
agents who are trying to persuade communities of the benefits of the 
LNG facility.
  This bill does not stop anyone from reaching out to local 
communities. What this bill says is that if you are trying to get 
approval for an LNG facility, whether on- or off-shore, you have to be 
public about it. Today, if someone lobbies the federal government, he 
or she needs to register so their affiliation and interests before the 
government are publicly known. We should do the same for these 
projects. As I said, it is common sense.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I ask unanimous consent 
that the text of my bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 323

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. IDENTIFICATION OF PROPONENTS OF APPROVAL OF 
                   LIQUIFIED NATURAL GAS FACILITIES.

       (a) Liquefied Natural Gas Facilities Requiring FERC 
     Approval.--The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission shall--
       (1) require an applicant for approval, by the Commission 
     under the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. 717 et seq.), of the 
     siting, construction, expansion, or operation of a liquefied 
     natural gas facility to identify each of the employees and 
     agents of the applicant that are engaged, directly or 
     indirectly, in activities to persuade communities of the 
     benefits of the approval; and
       (2) maintain a publicly available database listing the 
     names of the employees and agents.
       (b) Off-Shore Liquified Natural Gas Facilities.--The 
     Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of the 
     department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall--
       (1) require an applicant for approval, by the appropriate 
     Secretary under the Deepwater Port Act of 1974 (33 U.S.C. 
     1501 et seq.), of the siting, construction, expansion, or 
     operation of a liquefied natural gas facility to identify 
     each of the employees and agents of the applicant that are 
     engaged, directly or indirectly, in activities to persuade 
     communities of the benefits of the approval; and
       (2) maintain a publicly available database listing the 
     names of the employees and agents.
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