mr. chairman , i rise today in support of mr. castle 's amendment . 
under current law three new liquid natural gas facilities have been constructed in recent years and six others approved . 
current law permits construction of liquid natural gas facilities but it does n't do what this bill in its present form would do : virtually guarantee construction of liquid natural gas facilities in any location where there is a strong energy demand regardless of state and local concerns that arise . 
these concerns can include safety , environmental risks and/or terrorist threats . 
these are not concerns that should be divorced from the approval process . 
in fact , these concerns , and state and local governments ' ability to represent them , ought to be elevated in importance . 
our nation has a heritage of listening to the voice of its people . 
this legislation serves only to silence the voice of americans . 
the leadership of this house has turned a deaf ear to the concerns of long islanders and to the many americans in predicaments like my constituents . 
by granting full authority over the zoning of liquid natural gas facilities to the federal government , this bill grossly violates the so-called republican principle of local control . 
before moving forward with any legislation in regards to liquid natural gas facilities , this body must fully vet the issue through hearings and the commissioning of appropriate studies . 
not a single hearing on the pros and cons of the consequences of shifting zoning authority away from the states and to the federal government was held . 
this is nearsighted and irresponsible . 
the castle amendment ensures that local oversight over these vital zoning issues remains . 
it provides time for the proper detailed review of potential legal changes . 
i urge my colleagues to support the castle amendment and to prevent this federal power grab . 
