USCG OKs LNG Tankers on Delaware River

The U.S. Coast Guard gave the go ahead for liquefied natural gas tankers to sail up the Delaware River to a proposed terminal in Gloucester County, if extensive security measures are put in place.

The full measures were not revealed, however, Captain David Scott, USCG Captain of the Port, said they included safety zones around the LNG carriers, a waterway traffic management plan, escorts by armed law enforcement vessels, and surveillance on the water and along the shore.

BP wants to build the terminal in Logan Township and the Coast Guard said the Delaware River could accommodate the two to three LNG carriers per week as the company has proposed to supply the facility.

The security measures were recommended by a committee of about 20 law enforcement, security, and public safety officials from the federal government, Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard's recommendations are just part of an approval process required before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission can issue a permit for an LNG terminal.

"This is just one of many complex steps in the LNG terminal approval process", Scott said.
A fight over the facility also is headed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Delaware has objected to the terminal, saying its pier will extend into its territorial waters and would violate the state's coastal protection law.