WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal energy regulators have given an environmental clearance to a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal on the Gulf Coast of Texas.
The Federal Energy Regulatory commission's staff said Friday that the terminal, which would accommodate about 120 ships annually, would not pose a detrimental environmental impact, partly because it is to be built in an industrial area.
A partnership known as Calhoun LNG L.P. wants to build the terminal in Port Lavaca, Texas, about 130 miles southwest of Houston.
FERC still needs to give its final approval to the project before it can be built.
Energy industry executives regard LNG as a vital step in keeping up with the demand for natural gas in the United States. Largely unused until natural gas prices jumped in recent years, gas cooled to minus 260 degrees and turned into liquid is the only practical way to import supplies from overseas.
Companies including Sempra Energy Inc., Chevron Corp., and Exxon Mobil Corp. are planning terminals for tankers carrying liquefied natural gas. FERC has approved 19 terminals so far, and 10 more are under review by the agency.
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