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The public hearings are being held after two area citizens, including Mayor
Edward M. Lambert Jr., requested them.
In his Aug. 23 letter requesting the hearings, Lambert said a hearing should
be held in Fall River because its residents are "specially and significantly
affected, in a manner other entities are not."
"The citizens of Fall River are entitled to participate in a federal action
that could have dire consequences on their health, safety and security, and
should, at a minimum, be afforded the opportunity to comment in a public
forum," Lambert wrote.
The Coast Guard's proposed rule change will essentially codify the maneuver
Hess LNG's tankers will have to make to navigate their way through the old and
new Brightman Street bridges.
As a way to stymie Hess LNG's plans to construct an LNG import terminal in
Fall River, Massachusetts Democratic Rep. James P. McGovern inserted a
provision into the 2005 federal Transportation Bill that would not allow
federal funds to be used to destroy the old bridge.
Hess LNG, though, countered that move by announcing it would use smaller
tankers to get through the old bridge.
Critics of Hess LNG's new smaller tanker plan contended the intricate
maneuvers needed to navigate safely through the old bridge were still too
dangerous to approve.
But the Coast Guard, in the federal register, explains the procedure for
navigating through the two bridges and says it plans to codify those maneuvers
for all large ships.
The maneuver requires a vessel to transit through one bridge opening, stop, be
pushed sideways by tugs for about 100 feet to align with the next bridge, then
proceed forward.
"Local marine pilots, working with vessel operators, have devised a method of
transiting the two bridges that involves the use of a marine pilot, three
tugs, and navigating only within certain weather parameters," the federal
register filing states. "The Coast Guard proposes to codify those voluntary
practices in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking."
In announcing its hearings, the Coast Guard also revealed that it received
public comments regarding a section of its filing in the federal register
entitled "Alterations of Unreasonably Obstructive Bridges."
That portion of the filing describes procedures by which the Coast Guard
determines a bridge to be an unreasonable obstruction to navigation.
The filing states the commander of the First Guard District will begin
reviewing that process regarding the old Brightman Street Bridge, but noted
this issue will not be part of the planned public hearings.
Lambert Monday thanked the Coast Guard for agreeing to hold the hearings and
urged local residents to attend.
"This is a chance for us to rearticulate our concerns with the plans that Hess
LNG has for bringing LNG into Fall River and to challenge the company's
assertion that it can be done safely on a consistent basis given the
challenges presented by our unique waterways," Lambert said. "These are very
important public hearings that citizens should attend. ... This may be the
public's last chance to weigh in before the process concludes."
The Fall River hearing will be held at 7 p.m. in the Margaret Jackson Arts
Center.
E-mail Gregg M. Miliote at gmiliote@heraldnews.com.