Security will be costly for onshore LNG terminal

Proponents of an onshore liquefied natural gas facility in Long Beach have to face yet another hurdle--high security costs:

A report released Friday by Long Beach's fire and police chiefs about the manpower needed to secure a liquefied natural gas terminal in Boston Harbor paints an expensive and labor-intensive picture of security for an LNG terminal proposed here.

In a trip to Boston April 10-11, Long Beach Fire Chief Dave Ellis and Deputy Police Chief Tim Jackman found that state and city police commit officers, divers, boat escorts and a helicopter to ensure the ships move through the harbor without incident.

The arrival of LNG tankers also triggers a 3-mile-long safety zone through which no vessels can pass, and traffic on a major bridge is halted while tankers pass underneath.

The report says the economic impact of an accident or terrorist attack on an LNG tanker would be more significant in the Port of Long Beach, while Boston is more vulnerable to physical damage because of the LNG terminal's proximity to downtown.

"It could be a very high-value target," Ellis said of an LNG terminal in Long Beach. "My concerns are that there were definitely hazards and there are risks we need to identify."

Terrorism threats are less real for offshore facilities since, well, there ain't that much within a three-mile radius, is there?