NEWPORT, R.I. – A little-known provision in the $10 billion Coast Guard Reauthorization bill passed on Sept. 24 by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee could place additional limits on construction of new liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in the United States.
According to an article in the Abraham Energy Report, the provision, which is buried in the legislation, focuses on the construction of some new U.S. maritime terminals for “especially hazardous materials,” which includes LNG and some agricultural chemicals.
The provision was proposed by U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., whose district includes part of the Baltimore waterfront, and has expressed concern over the security of LNG tankers and terminals along urban waterfronts.
According to the report, the Cummings amendment would require the Coast Guard to guarantee the security of vessels and facilities handling LNG before any such facility is even built. If enacted, the rule would prevent terminals from being used at all if the Coast Guard cannot dedicate the necessary resources to insure a facility’s security.
Despite the obvious impediments, Cummings maintains that the goal of the measure is not to restrict LNG development.
“‘My amendment would not stop LNG terminals, or anything else, from being built,’ Cummings told the Abraham Report. ‘The only thing my amendment does is ensure that especially hazardous materials are protected with security measures meeting standards set by the Coast Guard for these materials. These are chemicals that can do massive, catastrophic damage if they are not properly secured. I believe my amendment ensures that they are.”
But not everyone on Capital Hill sees it that way. The bill is currently pending action in the House and a number of members have vowed to eliminate the provision before the bill is signed into law.
According to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, there are currently seven mainland LNG facilities in the United States with 20 more approved and planned.
For years, residents along the coastal waters of Rhode Island have been fighting a proposal by Weaver’s Cove Energy to install an LNG facility in Fall River which would require massive tankers to pass through the East Passage. After repeatedly failing in their efforts, in July a plan which would construct an off-shore LNG terminal in Mount Hope Bay won preliminary approval from the the Coast Guard. It’s unclear at this point how that recommendation would be affected should the reauthorization bill pass the House with the Cummings amendment in tact.
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Newport, RI
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Cummings wants a guarantee from the Coast Guard. There are no, repeat, no guarantees for the safety of anything that a terrorist wishes to exploit. The White House is not even a safe place…remember on 9/11 they evacuated and think about why they did that. Any facility can be attacked by land, sea or air if there is a mind to do it. He needs to get real.
The thought of LNG tankers coming up our narrow waterway makes me ill and furious. How can we stop this? Does anyone have an answer? Do our local and state reps hear us at all?