Weaver's Cove LNG lost another round Friday when the US Court of Appeals dismissed the company's appeal of Massachusetts' and Rhode Island's denial of the LNG developer's request for a permit that would let them dredge parts of the Taunton River in Massachusetts and of Mount Hope Bay in Rhode Island.

In its dismissal of the company's appeal, the court ruled that Weaver's Cove lacked standing to sue the states over these denials.

The rejection is important because dredging remains a key part of Weaver's Cove's latest plan to build an "offshore" unloading station in upper Mt. Hope Bay. That plan would involve dredging the bay shipping channel as well as a large turn-around area, and would also require dredging to bury the gas pipeline from there to the terminal in Fall River.

R.I. Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch quickly issued the following statement:

"In dismissing the appeal, a unanimous court ruled that the states' decisions are properly part of the process that eventually must be reviewed by the US Army Corps of Engineers. In its tireless but nonetheless ill-advised efforts to cash in on siting an LNG terminal within a densely populated urban and suburban area, Weaver's Cove Energy, the court found today, cannot bypass or short circuit this mandatory review by rushing to a Court that has no jurisdiction. Furthermore, Weaver's Cove Energy has no right to micromanage regulatory agencies in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Yet, I urge all concerned citizens and public officials to remain on guard, because Weaver's Cove Energy's continued appeals of its first plan and its recent announcement of a new and radical plan mean that it's as committed as ever to building an LNG terminal in Fall River — whatever the risks to public safety, whatever the costs to the environment, and whatever the opposition from affected communities."

By Bruce Burdett