9 



Relatively flat land is needed for the installation of LN6 refrig- 

 eration, compression, regasification, and storage equipment. With level 

 shorefront land zoned for industry at a premium along the coast, the 

 chances increase that wetlands will be filled to obtain the desired ele- 

 vation. If this is done important spawning/breeding and rearing areas of 

 a variety of fish and wildlife will be lost. In addition, water circula- 

 tion will be altered, perhaps leading to changes in salinity, temperature, 

 oxygen and other measures of water quality. 



Design : With the possibility that LNG tankers would be situated in 

 deep waters distant from shore, provisions should be made for boat traffic 

 to pass safely and easily without traveling around the end of the pier. 

 This will reduce the potential for boating accidents. The pier design 

 should utilize open piles and avoid a solid-fill structure. The latter 

 type alters the natural configuration of the shoreline and robs areas 

 downshore of needed sand by interrupting littoral drift. In addition, 

 solid-fill structures tend to disrupt water currents. This may lead to 

 a significantly changed fish and wildlife habitat. 



The need for dredging adequate navigation channels and a turning 

 basin will cause problems of turbidity and sedimentation, which may lead 

 to the smothering of clams, corals and other organisms. Oxygen depletion 

 is also associated with dredging. Channels should be designed to limit 

 the amount of initial and maintenance dredging. Firm bottom soils will 

 release fewer sediments to the water than loose, unconsoldiated types, 

 which will require more frequent maintenance dredging. 



Existing service roads should be maintained to allow heavy equip- 

 ment, but roads should not be open to the general public. If a water- 

 front site is selected, the feasibility of transporting heavy processing 

 and construction equipment by sea should be explored. Every storage 

 tank should have its own access by a service road to allow safe and 

 effective fire protection. Dikes surrounding tanks should not be tra- 

 versed by service vehicles and the top of the dike should not be utilized 

 as a service road. 



Construction : The sponsor must perform the coastal construction 

 with the utmost care to protect adjacent aquatic and terrestrial areas. 

 The scheduling of construction must avoid sensitive periods of species, 

 including breeding/spawning, rearing of young, etc. Operations of heavy 

 equipment must be performed to protect fragile environments, such as 

 barrier beaches, wetlands and clam/mud flats. In many cases, particu- 

 larly near wetlands, mats can reduce the impact of heavy equipment 

 operations. Construction must involve stringent erosion control methods 

 to prevent silt from entering streams and rivers where it could inter- 

 fere with fish reproduction. 



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