Liquefied natural gas import terminals in the Northeast US are prepared for the onslaught of Hurricane Sandy, company representatives said Monday.
No ships were scheduled to come into the Distrigas of Massachusetts terminal in Everett, Massachusetts, according to Carol Churchill, a spokeswoman for the company. As a result, no changes to the shipping schedule will be needed, she explained.
And the terminal itself is ready for the storm, Churchill said. "The Everett terminal is designed to withstand a hurricane of this magnitude, and the drainage is very good. We are prepared for the winds and rain."
"Employees are making sure everything is secure," she added, "We are still in operation."
Dominion's Cove Point LNG import terminal in Lusby, Maryland, is also holding up so far, said company spokesman Dan Donovan. Equipment that could be affected by wind has been secured and non-essential operational personnel were sent home from the Chesapeake Bay facility, he said.
As of 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT), the National Weather Service said hurricane-force winds were expected in the middle and upper Chesapeake Bay, and tropical-storm-force winds are expected in the lower Chesapeake Bay. Tropical-storm-force winds were also expected to extend north of Boston, Massachusetts, an NHC advisory said.
