The U.S. Coast Guard said the Department of Energy-commissioned report on liquefied natural gas (LNG) risks confirms that it is taking the right steps to prepare for and prevent potential accidents or terrorists attacks on LNG-laden tankers entering U.S. ports.

The study, which was conducted by Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico, “confirms…that the site-specific risk management activities that the Coast Guard already has in place can significantly reduce the possibility of a major loss of cargo from an accident or attack,” said Rear Admiral Thomas H. Gilmour, the Coast Guard’s assistant commandant for marine safety.

“The classified version of the study will provide us even more information, and will assist the Coast Guard in further refining our risk-reduction efforts to prevent the types of attack that have the highest potential for a major loss of cargo,” he said in a prepared statement.

The 167-page report, which was released Tuesday, concluded that a terrorist attack on tankers transporting volatile LNG into U.S. ports could create a thermal hazard that could blister the skin of people a mile from a spill site, and could cause major injuries and structural damage within a third of a mile from a site (see Daily GPI, Dec. 22). It noted that terrorists have a grab bag of options to use to attack LNG tankers — rocket-propelled grenades, boats, planes or missiles.

However, the report said that the risks from terrorist attacks “[could] be significantly reduced with appropriate security, planning prevention and mitigation.”

The study is the first federally-funded study to take a comprehensive look at the full consequences of a terrorist attack on a carrier vessel delivering LNG to a U.S. port. With the nation thirsty for more natural gas, top government leaders are exploring ways to import LNG into the country safely. The push by energy companies to erect LNG terminals is being met with strong resistance from environmentalists and local communities, particularly in the Northeast and on the West Coast. Most opponents cite the safety and security concerns of having an LNG facility located in their community.

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