Even with the potential millions of dollars a Chester LNG plant and export terminal could bring to the bankrupt City of Chester, many city leaders and residents are saying they do not want the plant, writes Anthony R. Wood for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association estimates in five years, the liquified natural gas plant from the New York firm Penn LNG would generate $700 million in tax revenue and create thousands of jobs for Chester.

But at a hearing called by the state-appointed Philadelphia LNG task force, protesters against the proposed facility were out in force.

Task force member Toby Rice, head of EQT Corp., one of the nation’s largest gas producers, said protesters were ignoring economic “opportunity” as they focused on environmental and safety issues.

But the protester’s concerns are backed by Chester’s next presumptive mayor Stefan Roots, and Michael Doweary, the state receiver who has been trying to fix the city’s poor finances.

It’s not the money but the future of Chester’s economy, they say.

Doweary and his chief of staff, Vijay Kapoor, said the city was in danger of becoming “financially dependent on these industries … for decades to come.”

Read more about the concerns and benefits of an LNG plant in Chester in The Philadelphia Inquirer.