However, the project has been quietly simmering along, Vitali said, citing behind-the-scenes work, such as a meeting the developers had at the White House in June.<\/p>\n
Add insult to injury<\/p>\n
Chester, a city of 34,000 people, is home to the country\u2019s largest trash incinerator and a jet-fuel refinery that heavily pollute the air, contribute to above-normal harmful health effects and compound quality of life problems in what is an environmental justice community, speakers testified.<\/p>\n
To site an LNG plant, with its emissions and safety concerns, would be to add insult to injury, residents said.<\/p>\n
Zulene Mayfield, the founder of Chester Residents Concerned for Quality Living, a community activist group, called it \u201canother dangerous and polluting proposal\u201d and said she was actually \u201cshocked\u201d that Chester would be considered.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe jobs are temporary but death is forever.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zulene Mayfield, the founder of Chester Residents Concerned for Quality Living<\/p>\n
\u201cHow many times do we have to say no?\u201d said Mayfield, who described herself as seething with rage. \u201cOur children don\u2019t have a movie theater. There is no skate park. There is no entertainment. But consistently we are being told that we have to accept other industries that no other community wants as undesirable. Our community says no.\u201d<\/p>\n
She tearfully described the death of local man in his 30s, who died of a rare form of cancer that she attributed to exposure to high levels of pollution. She said no economic benefits from an LNG plant are worth the loss of human life.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe jobs are temporary but death is forever,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Franc James, the chairman and chief executive of the company behind the project did not respond to an email request for comment on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Echo of previous hearing<\/p>\n
The mayor of Chester, Stefan Roots, said it would be \u201cnegligent and irresponsible\u201d to locate an LNG facility especially at a time that the city is looking to develop new housing and, with its sports facilities, become more of an attraction for visitors.<\/p>\n
Outside prospectors are trying to lure poor, struggling residents into a believing an LNG plant will be beneficial, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve moved on,\u201d he said. \u201cGo away. We\u2019re not entertaining another deal that endangers the health and safety of the residents of Chester.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that he was disappointed that the city was having this discussion again. Indeed, in many ways, the hearing was a replay of one in August 2023<\/a> that focused on energy independence.<\/p>\n That hearing, hosted by the\u00a0Pennsylvania LNG Task Force<\/a>, was, on paper, supposed to explore the virtues of exporting LNG from Delaware River ports in southeastern Pennsylvania.\u00a0Instead, it turned into a rallying cry against the plant plan and gave\u00a0rise to a boisterous clash of causes: environmental justice, economic development and public health and safety.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were promised opportunity but what we got is sacrifice,\u201d he said, adding that LNG stood for \u201cLies and Greed.\u201d<\/p>\n