President Donald Trump plans to open up the transportation of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) around the United States in railroad tanks that can hold 30,680 gallons of the extremely flammable fuel, with as many as 100 tank cars per train. And so far, an environmental assessment by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has given the plan a green light with no additional safety requirements.
When announcing Trump’s April 10 executive order that prompted the assessment, Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry proclaimed LNG as “freedom molecules” that will break the Russian hold over Eastern European countries as their sole supplier.
Trump’s plan has drawn little public attention to date. Still, it would allow ramping up production of natural gas by a method that chills it to -260° F, where it becomes a compact liquid that is cheaper to ship. Trump’s executive order does not mention that LNG, should it escape its container, can form a flammable vapor cloud, which if ignited can kill thousands of people in urban areas.
A draft environmental assessment is open for public comment through July 8. Click this link to view and submit a comment: Draft SP20534.
