Coast Guard wants to know about planned expansions of LNG facilities

The U.S. Coast Guard has announced that its request to collect additional information from owners and operators of liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities about any expansion plans they may be contemplating has recently been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and that the Coast Guard will require this additional information from LNG facilities beginning on September 3.

The Coast Guard had spelled out the types of information it will require from operators of LNG and liquefied hazardous gas (LHG) facilities in a Federal Register notice it published on May 26, 2010.

“The Coast Guard requires the submittal of a Letter of Intent (LOI) for LNG and LHG facilities that plan new construction or intend to expand existing operations to alert the Coadst Guard of transfers of LNG or LHG, in bulk,” said the notice last May. “In addition, a waterway suitability assessment will be required for a facility that intends new construction, expansion or modification of an existing facility, which results in an increase in the size and/or frequency of LNG or LHG marine traffic on the associated waterway.”

The Coast Guard estimates that 168 operators of LNG or LHG facilities will submit nearly 5,000 such information updates per year which will describe their expansion or modification plans.

“This information is required to ensure [the Coast Guard Captains of the Port] learn of the opening or reopening of a facility handling LNG or LHG far enough in advance to allocate resources and to plan enforcement strategies,” said last May’s notice.

Further information about this new information requirement is available from Commander Patrick Clark at 202-372-1410 or Patrick.W.Clark@uscg.mil.