Liquified natural gas can now be shipped by rail in a specific corridor

Written by David C. Lester, Editor-in-Chief
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The project will provide a direct link for oil from Utah to the Gulf Coast.
David C. Lester

According to nj.com, liquified natural gas can now be shipped to a Delaware River port in southern New Jersey from a fracking site in Pennsylvania. This comes after the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration approved a permit to Energy Transport Solutions, a company based in Florida, and the permit was approved by President Trump.

Although some additional environmental approvals are needed, this permit is a major step toward moving LNG by rail. Nj.com cites a report on Yahoo that New Fortress Energy owns Energy Transport Solutions.

As is often the case with these types of decisions, environmentalists and some lawmakers are not happy, whereas the corporate interests involved are pleased with the new opportunity.

New Energy Fortress said “This special permit is a significant milestone that establishes requirements for moving domestic LNG in a safe and efficient manner. It supports our efforts to bring cleaner and more affordable energy to markets that are reliant on oil-based fuels. We look forward to continuing to work with PHMSA, other regulatory agencies and the railroad industry as this project advances.”

One of the challenges of moving LNG by rail, according to the nj.com report, is that there hasn’t been a lot of testing around transporting this product by rail. Environmentalists, some lawmakers, and others are concerned about the possibility of the derailment of a train carrying LNG, which could cause tank car fissures and explosions. For example, U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J., 7th Dist.) said “The movement of LNG by rail tank car presents unique and substantial risks to public safety and the environment. The decision by the Department of Transportation to allow LNG to move in large volumes without adequate safeguards is irresponsible, and yet another example of the Administration putting corporate interests over the safety of the American public.”

More more information, go to nj.com.

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