New bill aimed at LNG, hazardous cargo

New bill aimed at LNG, hazardous cargo Sens. Frank R. Lautenberg, D-N.J., and Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawaii, introduced a bill Tuesday aimed at improving safety and security at shipping facilities and vessels handling hazardous materials, including liquefied natural gas.
   S. 1594, Maritime Hazardous Cargo Security Act of 2007, is co-sponsored by Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, and Gordon Smith, R-Ore.
   It is aimed at regulating what the bill terms “especially hazardous cargo” or EHC, including chemicals and petrochemicals such as anhydrous ammonia, ammonium nitrate, chlorine, liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas.
   A fact sheet from Lautenberg notes that federal agencies have received at least 70 applications to build new facilities in the United States that will receive EHC shipments from tank vessels. Many of these are LNG terminals.
   A Government Accountability Office study earlier this year said energy companies have submitted 32 applications to build new terminals in 10 states and five offshore areas. One terminal is proposed in Delaware Bay, off the coast of New Jersey.
   “Ships bringing liquefied natural gas from foreign ports — and the plants along our shores that receive them — must be better secured against terrorism,” Lautenberg said.
   A fact sheet issued by his office said, “currently, no international standards exist for the safe and secure handling of these chemicals/petrochemicals by ship, and limited U.S. Coast Guard resources for EHC security poses a dangerous risk to our communities.”
   Lautenberg and Inouye said the bill would:
   * Require the federal government “to work with international partners through the International Maritime Organization to develop standards and procedures for the safe and secure receiving, handling, crewing, loading and unloading of especially hazardous cargo” at facilities and on tank vessels.
   * Require the U.S. Coast Guard to calculate its security costs for additional security measures associated with the operation of U.S. shore-side EHC facilities.
   * Authorize assistance to foreign ports that handle and transport EHC’s to be used to meet or exceed current International Ship and Port Facility Code (ISPFC) standards.
   * Authorize voluntary third party validation of international port facilities to certify they meet or exceed international safety standards.
   * Require the U.S. Coast Guard to develop regional response and recovery plans to prepare for and respond to a transportation security incident.
   * Require the U.S. Coast Guard to develop a resource allocation plan to show how its proposed budget would be used for EHC security operations and to report to Congress.
   * Require successful completion of U.S. Coast Guard Incident Command System (ICS) training for all personnel responsible for the safety and security of a vessel in port.