LNG demonstration hopes to answer questions and allay fears
North Bend - With the hopes of replacing fears and misconceptions with factual information, the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay hosts a live Liquefied Natural Gas demonstration, which shows how the natural gas burns cleaner and faster than other fuels, such as diesel.
The North Bend Fire House had a mixed group of attendees, from firefighters to state officials, wanting to learn more about LNG on Wednesday.
Jeff Bishop, executive director of the Port, says they've seen demonstrations of LNG in past, and thought it would be beneficial to bring a similar display here.
"Fear, a lot of times, is based on the unknown. And the more experience you have with something the more you understand it, the better you can deal with it. And, I think this is an opportunity for us to view, firsthand, the characteristics of LNG, and see it up close," said Bishop.
Frank Whipple is a consultant for Jordan Cove and a safety and security senior project manager for TRC, and he recognizes that there are a number of concerns when it comes to LNG, but says as long as risks are managed, safety shouldn't be compromised.
"You bring in good ships, the high quality ships, with the right safety equipment in it. You want to make sure that transit is done safely. You do the same thing with the terminal," Whipple adds.
"You build the terminal to the current safety standards, you put the fire safety department in, the fire detection, the gas detection, so you wont have those kinds of incidents, and that's the key. It's risk management. How do you reduce risk?"
In addition to a flammability test between LNG and diesel, the demonstration also included a risk discussion, and a question and answer session.
The North Bend Fire House had a mixed group of attendees, from firefighters to state officials, wanting to learn more about LNG on Wednesday.
Jeff Bishop, executive director of the Port, says they've seen demonstrations of LNG in past, and thought it would be beneficial to bring a similar display here.
"Fear, a lot of times, is based on the unknown. And the more experience you have with something the more you understand it, the better you can deal with it. And, I think this is an opportunity for us to view, firsthand, the characteristics of LNG, and see it up close," said Bishop.
Frank Whipple is a consultant for Jordan Cove and a safety and security senior project manager for TRC, and he recognizes that there are a number of concerns when it comes to LNG, but says as long as risks are managed, safety shouldn't be compromised.
"You bring in good ships, the high quality ships, with the right safety equipment in it. You want to make sure that transit is done safely. You do the same thing with the terminal," Whipple adds.
"You build the terminal to the current safety standards, you put the fire safety department in, the fire detection, the gas detection, so you wont have those kinds of incidents, and that's the key. It's risk management. How do you reduce risk?"
In addition to a flammability test between LNG and diesel, the demonstration also included a risk discussion, and a question and answer session.
Learn about changes coming to commenting