Group shares liquified natural gas concerns as Dec. 9 discussion looms

Photo provided by ProtectNorthernPa.org

​​A group of concerned citizens under the name ProtectNorthernPA.org are asking for public response to a proposed liquified natural gas (LNG) plant in Bradford County and potential shipping path for the product to a New Jersey port for exporting.

“Liquified natural gas is a chilled, condensed form of methane drilled from the northeast Pennsylvania marcellus shale region,” said the group’s head, Diana Dakey. “In order to export this product, it is chilled and condensed down to 1/600th of its original volume and put into tanker trucks or rail cars to be delivered to ships where it can be exported.”

According to Dakey, a company named New Fortress Energy purchase a 200-acre piece of land along the Susquehanna River in Wyalusing Township of Bradford County. Zoning clearances and permits were approved and the early stages of construction began earlier this year and are scheduled to resume in 2021.

“Their business model is to receive gas from area pipelines, making the LNG inland and then move the product some 180 to 200 miles in tanker trucks or rail cars to a port along the Delaware River in New Jersey,” she said. “What is unique about this is that an LNG-for-export project has never built an operation this far inland and planned to transport this much LNG over land.”

According to Dakey, the company plans to produce 3.5 to 4 million gallons of LNG per day, “which is enough to fill 350 to 400 tanker trucks a day, which would run along area roadways and along the river – or would fill 113 rail cars. This is a huge amount of LNG moving over land and near some densely populated areas.”

The issue, beyond an increase in environmentally connected fracking water draw and waste discharge, she explained, could involve a large-scale health threat if there is a tanker truck or rail car accident where LNG is released.

“LNG re-vaporizes back into methane gas, and then when it mixes with oxygen in the air, becomes a flammable gas. Should it encounter a spark of any kind, you could have a huge explosion,” she said. “This substance – you can’t put out a fire that can come from a multiple rail car accident or tanker trucks exploding. It has to burn back to its source.”

While the LNG plant in Bradford County is underway, Dakey urged people to research the topic and act quickly to contact members of the Delaware River Basin Commission, which is scheduled to discuss a permit by the proposed New Jersey port project as early as Dec. 9.

“Among those who are voting members of the commission are the governors of each of the four states connected to this, including Gov. Wolf,” she said. “We are urging everyone to look at information on our site and then reach out to Gov. Wolf to share your concerns as quickly as possible.”

For more information, including maps of potential shipping routes, links for additional research and ways to get involved, visit ProtectNorthernPa.org

Diana Dakey, of ProtectNorthernPa.org

Diana Dakey, of ProtectNorthernPa.org shared details about liquified natural gas (LNG), a Bradford County plant and potential concerns involving LNG shipping in this podcast interview: 

A drone video of construction at the Bradford County LNG production site, provided by  ProtectNorthernPA.org and the FracTracker Alliance:

ProtectNorthernPA.org

Dec. 3 webinar about the LNG project presented by the Sierra Club and other agencies: