LNG Solutions

John Kerry Says He's Open to New LNG Facility

2006-02-15T09:29:00.000-05:00

In an interview with the Patriot Ledger, Sen. John Kerry said he is open to a LNG terminal on Outer Brewster Island (read it here). Kerry said one of the reasons the project should be considered is because it would elminate some of the safety concerns that are currently an issue in Boston Harbor.

Of course, those issues are the tankers full of dangerous LNG floating just yards away from our homes. As the Ledger notes, the island is 10 miles from Boston, and even two miles away from Hull, far away from endangering any population areas.

Kerry is the latest in a line of public officials at every level to suggest LNG tankers need to get out of Boston Harbor. He joins a list that includes Congressman Stephen Lynch, House Speaker Sal DiMasi and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino who in the last month or so have been critical of LNG ships in the harbor.

We hope these officials can work together and use their considerable influence to help get these boats out of the harbor and away from out homes.

Add Congressman Lynch to the Cause

2006-02-01T08:41:00.000-05:00

In today's Boston Globe, U.S. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch writes an opinion piece calling for, well, LNG solutions for the region.

Lynch notes the region's economy will be hurt over the long term if energy solutions are not found. He particularly notes the need for additional LNG capacity.

Lynch lives in South Boston, and his constitutents see the LNG tankers coming into the harbor on a regular basis. In his op-ed today, Lynch demands future LNG projects be placed in low-population areas. He particularly points to the proposed Fall River proposal as a bad one. The one project Lynch supports in his piece is the proposed terminal on Outer Brewster Island. That project, on the outskirts of the harbor, is generally considered not to hold any safety concerns.

So in the last month, Mayor Thomas M. Menino, House Speaker Sal DiMasi, and now Lynch have all made stands against LNG tankers in Boston Harbor. We're encouraged to see all levels of government now actively engaged on the issue, and we're hopeful they can all work together to get the tankers out of Boston Harbor.

House Speaker Critical of Hazardous Transports

2006-01-30T12:51:00.000-05:00

House Speaker Sal DiMasi, who lives in the North End, was critical of hazardous cargo coming through the neighborhood in a Boston Globe story yesterday.

The story linked DiMasi's concern to our opposition to LNG tankers in Boston Harbor, and threw in some information about our effort. We're encouraged by this little bit of traction, but we still need your support. Hit the "comment" button or send us an e-mail, and let us know you support getting LNG tankers out of Boston Harbor.

Mayor Menino Fights New LNG Tankers

2006-01-25T08:58:00.000-05:00

The City of Boston and Mayor Thomas M. Menino are taking a stand against a proposed pipeline to the North Shore that would increase LNG traffic into Boston Harbor. The current situation is too dangerous and needs to be stopped. Adding more LNG traffic to the harbor is ridiculous. We're glad the mayor and the city are taking this stand, and we hope more officials step up with the mayor. Here's our press release:

City, Mayor Menino Join Fight Against More LNG Traffic
in Boston Harbor

The Coalition for an LNG Solution is pleased to join the City of Boston and Mayor Thomas M. Menino in the fight against more liquefied natural gas tankers in Boston Harbor.

In a letter last month to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the city Office
of Environmental and Energy Services opposed the proposed LNG pipeline from
Everett to the North Shore. The pipeline would increase the annual number of LNG
tankers in Boston Harbor from 60 to almost 100.

“The City's prime concern, voiced frequently by Mayor Thomas M. Menino since September 11, 2001, is the need to reduce and ultimately cease all LNG shipments through Boston Harbor,” wrote James W. Hunt, the city’s chief of environment and
energy.

Currently residents of Charlestown, the North End, Chelsea and East Boston watch massive LNG tankers loaded with dangerous cargo float just yards away from their homes. Studies have shown that people and buildings up to three-quarters of a mile from Boston Harbor can be in danger if there is an explosion in the harbor. The Coalition for an LNG Solution is at the forefront of eliminating these dangerous boats from Boston Harbor.
The Coalition for an LNG Solution combines the efforts of residents and neighborhood groups in the North End, Charlestown, Chelsea, East Boston, Winthrop and other communities. The coalition proactively meets with public officials and public safety organizations such as the State Police and the Coast Guard in an effort to compile information about LNG shipments and their inherent danger. For more information, find the coalition online at www.lngsolutions.blogspot.com, or call (617) 488-2896.

Hitting the Streets

2006-01-23T09:40:00.000-05:00

On Friday, we dropped hundreds of flyers in neighborhoods under the treat of damage from LNG tankers in Boston Harbor. These flyers have a bunch of information outlining our position and our hope to eliminate the tankers from the Harbor. We'll likely be dropping more in the future, perhaps in your neighborhood, but for now here's what they look like:

Who's At Risk

2006-01-16T13:52:00.000-05:00

The question of LNG safety in Boston Harbor isn't just for those who live in waterfront condominiums downtown or in three-families near the water in East Boston. This is an issue that goes deeper into the heart of Boston.

The best illustration is part of a Dec. 12, 2004 Boston Globe story and the corresponding graphic (click here). It paints a harrowing picture beyond the waterfront for South Boston, the financial district, and Beacon Hill.

According to the chart, people 4,200 feet away -- nearly one mile -- would be in danger. That includes about 500,000 people, probably more on work day when thousands of suburbanites come to downtown to work.

If that's not enough (and it should be), some of the city's -- and the nation's -- history would be in the fire zone. Places like the State House and Boston Common would be in danger. Historic places like the Old North Church, Faneuil Hall and the USS Constitution would be obliterated. In effect, these LNG tankers pose a threat to our past, present and future.

Luckily, there is a growing list of options outside of the terminal at Chelsea Creek. Now's the time to push our public officials to save the harbor and the surrounding neighborhoods from LNG tankers. Join our voice by commenting below, or e-mail us.

Taking up the Fight

2006-01-10T10:10:00.000-05:00

Today we're launching our effort to gets boats like this one out of Boston Harbor. They carry liquefied natural gas, a substance that can be explosive, flammable, and simply dangerous to those of us who live around the harbor.

Boston Harbor is the only urban area in the world that is home to an LNG terminal. Sixty times a year, these dangerous ships come into the harbor and float past our homes and businesses. One study found more than 500,000 people would be harmed by an LNG explosion in the harbor. Since September 11, there has been the added fear of terrorist attacks.

Now, there is talk of expanding the capacity of the Chelsea Creek terminal with a pipeline to the North Shore. That would bring the annual ship total to nearly 100. Essentially, twice a week we would all be in danger.

Enough.

We are ready to fight for our safety. We want local, state and federal leaders to take up our case and protect us. Massachusetts has a number of proposals (including two offshore and one on an barren island on the fringe of Boston Harbor) for creating a new LNG terminal that would potentially reduce the LNG traffic the harbor, and would certainly eliminate the need for more capacity at Chelsea Creek.

To be successful, we need your voice. Please send us an e-mail (click here), or hit the comment button below. We want to make it clear to our public officials that we aren't going to risk our safety any more.

As this issue moves along, we'll be posting here regularly. We'll post news stories, give notice to pertinent community meetings, and generally work as a clearinghouse for all LNG news and information. Stop by regularly, and tell a neighbor about us. The more voices we have, the clearer we'll be that we need a LNG solution.