YES! Castle aims to strip LNG pier provision from bill

Castle aims to strip LNG pier provision from bill
By JEFF MONTGOMERY / The News Journal
4/19/2005

Republican Rep. Mike Castle said today that he will try to strip from a House energy bill language that would allow the federal government to trump Delaware’s decision to block a liquefied natural gas pier opposite Claymont.

A House panel recently included the provision in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, now awaiting a vote in the full chamber. Under the bill, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission could pre-empt a state Coastal Zone Act ruling that bars BP from building a pier to serve a $500 million LNG storage and delivery terminal in Logan Township, N.J., Castle said.

Delaware officials in February ruled the BP Crown Landing LLC pier would extend well into a section of the Delaware River covered by a 34-year-old state ban on new bulk unloading piers or new heavy industries.

“I feel the states should be able to make a decision on the siting of facilities consistent with environmental, public safety, land use and zoning requirements,” Castle said. He has prepared an amendment for consideration by the House Rules Committee later today, he said.

http://www.delawareonline.com/updates/Castleaimstostr.html

If one of those ships detonates in the proper manner, it will make the Tokyo firebombings of WWII look like a firecracker.

"A study commissioned by the Department of Energy found that an intentional breaching of a tankerload of liquefied natural gas could release vapors flammable at a distance of more than 2 miles, or could trigger a fire that would cause blisters 1.3 miles away."

Stephen Coonts had a similar situation in the book Fortunes of War. In the book, an increasingly Militaristic Japan invades and starts seriously kicking a nuclear disarmed Russian Federation's ass. After the Japanese Nave gets done with taking out pretty well much the entire Russian Far East submarine fleet, one sub manages to sneak into Tokyo bay and destorys a oil refinery with a couple of SPETZNAZ guys as well as sinks a number of ships. Once they are discovered, The submarine captian manages to cover his retreat by taking out a moored LNG tanker. The blast form the tanker takes out pretty well much most of the part of Tokyo that is by the bay and ends up killing tens of thousands of people.

Who needs a small nuke when a fully-stocked LNG tanker will do the job nicley?

...because that's where it's located at on the Delaware - right near Wilmington. Oh, and here's a real beauty - there's a Nuclear Power Plant like 5 miles from where they want to build the pier. Like that wouldn't be considered a juicy target.

These things tend to be important to me since I actually remember all the details about the day that TMI went down.

"Castle also has joined 12 other Republicans in opposing a House budget provision that would allow oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge."

http://www.delawareonline.com/newsjournal/local/2005/04/20castletriestopr.html