Building an Island Off Our Coast

Via SBPBCivic Forum

An application to build a manmade island for an industrial complex to offload, store, and process liquefied natural gas (LNG) is being reviewed by two federal agencies. The facility, called “Safe Harbor Energy,” is planned for 19 miles off the coast of New Jersey and 13 miles off the coast of New York. The same area is home to endangered species and is prime fishing grounds.

The project would require dumping millions upon millions of tons of material to create the offshore island. Further, the island will only be 25 feet above sea level, while offshore wave heights during storms in this region can reach 30 to 50 feet.

The island itself will be 60.5 acres (nearly the size of six Giants Stadiums) and the footprint of the project will be much larger. The proposed artificial island would cover approximately 116 acres of seafloor. In addition, there will be a large exclusion zone surrounding the facility. The ships can be up to three football fields in length.