What is the plan for an emergency involving Dominion Resources’ proposed fracked-gas refinery?
Please know that Dominion Cove Point did not propose a fracked-gas refinery in Calvert County. Dominion Cove Point received approvals for an LNG liquefaction and export facility. An Emergency Response Plan (ERP) has been in place since the LNG terminal began operation in 1978; fine-tuning of these plans occurs on a continual basis.The plan has been updated, and will continue to be updated, as new projects have changed the configuration of the terminal. The ERP and operating procedures are used by plant personnel for developing emergency procedures with third-party emergency responders.

Show All Answers

1. What is Dominion proposing to do?
2. What is FERC?
3. Who will construct the new facility?
4. When will construction occur?
5. Where will the construction occur?
6. What permit requirements are there for the project?
7. Will the project require the construction of new pipelines leading to the facility?
8. Will union labor be used?
9. Will a permanent industrial pier be installed near the Thomas Johnson Bridge in the Patuxent River?
10. Will the temporary pier near the Thomas Johnson Bridge harm prime oyster areas?
11. Will the temporary pier affect public use of the Solomons public boat ramp and fishing pier?
12. Will the expansion lead to increased LNG tanker traffic in the Chesapeake Bay?
13. Will the project adversely affect our air quality?
14. Will water usage from wells at the site affect the water supply of residents?
15. Why isn’t an environmental impact statement required for the expansion project?
16. Will LNG exports from Cove Point expand the process of natural gas extraction called “fracking” across our region, including in Maryland, where no drilling yet occurs?
17. Is LNG safe and can it explode?
18. What security measures are in place at the facility?
19. Is there an emergency plan in place for the facility?
20. How many jobs will the project create?
21. What are the terms of the tax agreement reached with Dominion?
22. How much tax revenue will be generated for Calvert County when Cove Point expands?
23. Why did the county commissioners vote to provide a tax credit on the project to Dominion?
24. Do any other businesses in the county receive tax credits?
25. Is it typical for a county or municipality to offer tax credits to a utility? What is the typical credit amount?
26. Is the state offering any incentives to supplement our credit?
27. Does the tax provision guarantee that Dominion will not locate somewhere else?
28. What is the county doing to ensure that the local business community can participate in this project?
29. How is worker transportation being handled?
30. How will worker housing be accommodated?
31. Where will the workers come from?
32. What is the project impact to schools?
33. Will the construction of the Cove Point export facility require the closing of the adjacent Cove Point Park? What about Calvert Cliffs State Park?
34. What about the air emissions from the ships at the pier?
35. Will plant processes release any material into the groundwater?
36. How will groundwater from the onsite wells be used at the facility?
37. What improvements will be made to Cove Point Road and other roadways to minimize the project’s impact on traffic?
38. What about the ballast water in the ships?
39. What is Dominion doing to minimize noise from the facility?
40. Why is a bypass, or additional evacuation road, being built?
41. Who is the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ)?
42. Why aren’t we seeking that Dominion use the most current version of NFPA 59A: Standard for the Production, Storage and Handling of Liquefied Natural Gas, 2013 Edition?
43. Has the County adopted NFPA59A standards for LNG facilities?
44. Will the County conduct a quantitative risk analysis?
45. Does Calvert County intend to satisfy its code requirements for LNG terminals by applying NFPA59A 2013?
46. Has the County reviewed the LNG facility explosion in Plymouth, Washington? Can our first responders handle this?
47. Has the county changed their position that they can delegate all of their responsibilities to FERC with regards to evaluating this project from a public safety perspective?
48. Are the County’s first responders prepared to respond to an event at Dominion Cove Point?
49. Why is the county waiving storm water prevention plans for Dominion Resources?
50. Who is liable for accidents caused by Dominion that impact residents or residential properties?
51. Has Dominion established an escrow account to cover the costs of any and all emergencies it causes prior to 2018 when Dominion first starts paying taxes?
52. What is the county and/or Dominion doing for security from all threats (domestic and foreign)?
53. Has Lusby been designated by the County, State or federal government as a High Consequence Area?
54. What is the plan for an emergency involving Dominion Resources’ proposed fracked-gas refinery?
55. Who were the public partners that contributed to that plan?
56. What real world experience makes them subject matter experts? Please include academic and work experience information.
57. Were only “experts” with a vested interest in the project consulted (as in the oil and gas industry people)?
58. What Does FERC do?
59. If Dominion Resources was the only private party that contributed to emergency planning, why? (Isn’t that a little like placing the fox in charge of the hen house?)
60. Is a Quantitative Risk Analysis (QRA) required by the 2013 NFPA standards (NFPA 59A)?
61. Will Calvert County obtain a copy of the Emergency Response Plan (ERP) submitted by Dominion to the Maryland Public Service Commission on June 26, 2014? Will it be released to the public?
62. Can you assure that the new Emergency Response Plan will be based on NFPA 59A, 2013, that it will be open for public inspection and resident experts can participate in its development?
63. According to a 2006 Maryland study, risks from the current facility could reach 4,265 feet offsite. Is there a guarantee that no risks from the proposed LNG refinery will go offsite?
64. The county says a single evacuation route from the plant is adequate yet a secondary bypass road is planned. Why?
65. How does a bypass road enabling egress from points east of Cove Point Road enhance safety if it takes residents through the 1300-meter consequence zone already identified for the current facility?
66. What is the construction schedule for the bypass road and what will be its effects on commuters and school buses?
67. If a plant incident occurs during school hours, what are the plans for student evacuation?
68. Will the county install air quality monitoring stations to document exposures to residents from Dominion Resources activities in the county before and during construction and once operational?
69. Will the county perform water testing for arsenic and to monitor for depletion as Dominion draws from the Aquia aquifer at Offsite Area A?
70. Will the County monitor and enforce sound levels in the residential community during the construction phase and once the LNG refinery is operational?
71. Are local firefighter volunteers equipped, staffed and capable of responding to a worst-case scenario at the facility?
72. What is the County and/or Dominion doing for security from all threats -- domestic and foreign -- and what is the status of the County Special Operations Team in relation to Dominion security?
73. Why were plant safety standards adopted from the National Fire Protection Association 2001 standards instead of the 2013 edition?
74. Are Lusby and the Cove Point area adjacent to Dominion Resources’ proposed fracked-gas refinery considered a High Consequence Areas, also known as a “sacrifice zone?”
75. In 2005, Washington Gas had a lawsuit with Dominion on damage to pipeline seals because of the change in properties of imported gas. How injurious is fracked gas to pipe seals?
76. Is there a danger of pipeline leaks under Dominion’s operating pressure and maximum allowable operating pressure?
77. Was the Board of County Commissioners aware the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency took action against Dominion Cove Point regarding unreported ammonia releases?
78. Was alleged brownfield soil tested from Dominion Cove Point before it was relocated to the Appeal Landfill?
79. Did the county require the alleged brownfield soil to be tested?
80. What are the remaining capacity serving years of Appeal Landfill, where soil is being stored?
81. How much will the soil storage shorten the life span of the landfill?
82. How much will Dominion be asked to compensate for the soil storage?
83. What is the difference between a large (or wide) load and a heavy haul?
84. What will the noise from the facility actually sound like when running?
85. What percent of the new full-time hires are local to Calvert County?
86. Are there any concerns over radon in the natural gas being released at the facility or taken out with the pretreatment process?
87. Will Dominion have a “visitor center” for folks to come in and learn about the facility like Calvert Cliffs used to have?
88. What security measures are in place to prevent access to the facility’s electronic infrastructure?
89. How many other sites globally have this same technology for liquefaction?
90. Are there any LNG facilities planned or being built in Europe or Russia?