They’re forecasting an ice storm for Saturday, but some of South Jersey’s most tenacious activists will be out to protest a controversial port project along the Delaware River.
The plan calls for natural gas to be fracked and liquefied in Pennsylvania, then transported to a port in Gibbstown. There it will be transferred to internationally bound ships for export.
“It’s the most dangerous fossil fuel project in the state, with wide-ranging potential impact,” said Kate Delany, candidate for Collingswood Mayor and President of South Jersey Progressive Democrats. “ A disaster could occur anywhere along the route and at the port as well. And this plan puts the Delaware, a tidal river, at risk.”
What kind of disaster are we talking about?
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is volatile. It must be kept at 260 degrees below zero and extremely compressed. If its container is breached, the vapor expands. As oxygen reacts with it, the explosion can be devastating. In 1973, a huge LNG storage tank in Staten Island exploded during repairs, killing 40 workers. A 2004 explosion at an Algerian LNG plant led to 27 deaths and 72 additional injuries. It was caused by a leak in the refrigerant system. There have been more recent incidents involving LNG truck explosions and train derailments, as well.
Firefighters need to use dry chemical powders to extinguish LNG fires, but in many cases, the fire must be left to burn out by itself. What would that mean for the unfortunate people near the accident scene?
In the current proposed plan, LNG would be transported via truck and rail through highly populated areas including Philadelphia, Camden, and smaller communities. The river would need to be dredged to build the port, potentially releasing known toxic substances remaining from the dynamite manufacturing done previously at the site.
Those in favor of the Gibbstown port say that the project will bring badly needed jobs to the area. Some major trade unions support the plan for this reason. The Delaware River Basin Commission recently approved construction of the dock, but a coalition of nonprofit advocacy groups plan a court challenge.
The protest will be at the intersection of Harmony Road and Pieta Place in Gibbstown on Saturday, Feb. 13 between noon and 1 PM. https://fb.me/e/5GRAw8ltq for more information.
Next week, Blue Wave News NJ will cover other events and issues on local Democratic minds. That’s a lot of stuff, so expect a bigger post. If you have something you want to talk about, write back!
Thank you for reading!
Lisa Bonanno
Special thanks to Jeanne Jordan for providing background information
Possible transport routes: https://www.delawareriverkeeper.org/taxonomy/term/1174
Some LNG accidents up to 2015: https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2018/11/f57/draft-eis-0531-port-delfin-lng-app-r-2016-07.pdf
Revised federal rules for LNG transport: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/07/24/2020-13604/hazardous-materials-liquefied-natural-gas-by-rail
Firefighting considerations: http://www.liquefiedgascarrier.com/tackling-fire-LNG-ships.html
Delaware Riverkeepers Network webinar: