BOSTON — A leak from a liquefied natural gas tanker in Boston Harbor could catch fire and even explode, threatening people three-quarters of a mile away, according to a new government report. But the report came with a number of caveats. The report by ABS Consulting was commissioned by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and posted on the agency's Web site on Friday.
The report also concluded that in some scenarios, a leak could create a flammable vapor cloud that might travel several thousand feet before dissipating.
The report addresses some concerns Mainers have had about placing a liquefied natural gas terminal in the state. TransCanada Pipelines Ltd. and its partner, Conoco Phillips, have begun exploring several sites in Maine since their proposal to bring a terminal to Harpswell was defeated in March.
Supporters say the project promises a cleaner source of energy and $4 million to $5 million a year in local tax revenue. Opponents argue it would bring safety and environmental risks and disrupt the economy and quality of life of the state's fishing communities.
Most recently, the Cumberland Town Council canceled an advisory referendum on whether the town should begin negotiating with TransCanada to put a terminal on privately owned Hope Island.
In Yarmouth, TransCanada has been talking to the owners of Wyman Station, an oil-fired power plant on Cousins Island, about developing a terminal there. Public debate is expected at the next Town Council meeting Thursday.
U.S. Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., said the report about Boston Harbor "suggests that some of the accident scenarios involve enormous fires that could cause deaths, severe burns to people several thousand feet away, and hot enough to burn wood and melt steel closer in."
Markey said in some scenarios an explosion was possible and the findings were "very sobering."
But at the same time, the report's authors noted, their report had its limitations. The report said that, for example, there is no experimental data available to act as a model for a major LNG spill.
The report said "the recommended methods have limitations, including uncertainty in the results they produce."
The report also noted that it addresses only the potential consequences of a leak, without looking at whether such an event was likely to happen.
"LNG vessel and associated facility operations are highly regulated and closely monitored/controlled by authorities, so many layers of protection exist against losses. The dependability of these layers of protection was not addressed in this project, but are important considerations in understanding the total risk picture," the report's introduction noted.
Fall River Mayor Ed Lambert was concerned that regulators don't know enough about the potential dangers of tankers carrying the fuel through populated areas.
"This confirms that people don't have definitive answers about what could happen with a spill or an accident or a terrorist attack," Lambert said.
After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, LNG tankers were temporarily barred from Boston Harbor. Fears that the tankers could be targeted for terrorist attacks were raised higher recently when the FBI revealed that stowaways with links to al-Qaida had entered Boston on the tankers as far back as 1995.
LNG tankers pass through Boston Harbor on their way to a terminal in Everett. An LNG terminal is also being proposed for Fall River.
