Hess LNG’s decision last week to abandon plans for a liquefied natural gas terminal in Weaver’s Cove in Fall River is a lost economic opportunity in a region that can least afford it.
Yes, Hess officials claim the widespread opposition from local communities and environmental groups played no role in their decision to withdraw applications for the $700 million facility proposed eight years ago. They cite lower prices and increased demand for LNG elsewhere in the world as primary factors.
But it strains credibility to think the building wall of opposition they encountered due to concerns about wildlife, security issues and the effect on other shipping and sailing activity had no impact on the decision. At the very least it helped delay the project.
More likely is that the company, seeing future economic benefits of continuing to swim against the local tide grow less certain, simply decided to move on to more welcoming environments.
And with them go the 1,000 construction jobs over three years and another 400 direct and indirect, permanent jobs the project promised.
In a region with some of the highest unemployment rates in the country, that’s a lost opportunity that will be very hard to replace. •