U.S. Coast Guard Rejects Smaller Vessels for Weaver’s Cove
The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a preliminary rejection of Weaver’s Cove Energy, LLC’s proposal to use smaller vessels to deliver LNG to its planned terminal. In a letter dated May 9, Captain of the Port Roy A. Nash said that Weaver’s Cove’s recent modeling failed to prove “that smaller LNG tankers can be safely navigated through th[e] waterway on a consistent, repeatable basis.” In addition, before the USCG can issue its Letter of Recommendation, Nash said that the agency will conduct a supplemental environmental review, require workshop discussions with state and local law enforcement and public safety officials, and schedule a public comment period. A spokesperson for the terminal developer told the Herald News (Fall River, Mass.) that Weaver’s Cove “intend[s] to proceed with the project and…will very quickly begin the process of responding to all the issues raised in the Coast Guard’s correspondence.”