Report - Agence canadienne d'évaluation environnementale

Assessing the risks related to the project
♦ Finding — Like other researchers and specialists, the Panel takes note of the
inadequacy of the 5-kW/m 2 criterion, specifically in regard to thermal risks to which
more vulnerable populations could be exposed (children, the elderly or individuals with
mobility impairment).
♦ Opinion 9 — The Panel is of the opinion that the planning of emergency measures
should take into account a more precise demographic characterization of sensitive
elements in the built environment inside the isocontour corresponding to a 3-kW/m 2
thermal radiation criterion.
Risks related to navigation and the seaway
In this section, the Panel traces the history of accidents related to the transportation of
LNG, and examines the TERMPOL process as well as the security measures
proposed by the proponent in relation to navigation. It also analyzes the project’s
possible grounding and collision risks.
History of accidents associated with LNG maritime
transport
The history of accidents related to LNG maritime transport is deemed quite reassuring
by a great number of specialists and observers. According to Shaw, Baik and
Pitblado 1 , no LNG tanker has ever suffered significant cargo losses or failure of
containment mechanisms when transporting LNG, from the first maritime delivery trip
done in 1958 until now. In their view, and based on available data, an industry review
demonstrated that at the end of 2004, there had been more than 42,000 maritime trips
with cargo, corresponding to 82,000 loading and unloading port operations, which
took place without any losses, conflagration or major fires. This represents a total haul
of close to 147 million km and a total volume of 3.6 billion m 3 of LNG delivered.
According to the proponent, only eight maritime incidents have resulted in spills over
the 40 years of existence of the LNG industry. None of these incidents resulted in any
loss of life and were, for the most part, leaks and emissions from small pipes or joints,
some of which resulted in material damage due to the cryogenic embrittlement of
construction materials. Moreover, over the span of more than 40,000 trips, there have
been no reported spills of LNG over water after a collision with or the grounding of an
LNG tanker (Mr. Glenn Kelly, DT1, p. 56). According to the proponent’s data, two
major groundings have occurred in the history of LNG maritime transport, without loss
1. S. Shaw, J. Baik and R. Pitblado, “Consequences of Underwater Releases of LNG”, Process Safety Progress,
vol. 24, no. 3, September 2005.
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