Dominion Cove Point Vice President of LNG Operations Mike Frederick
Prince Frederick, MD – In an effort to allay fears about their neighbors not having an alternate emergency escape route, Dominion has announced it is planning to build a bypass road near its Cove Point Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Plant in Lusby.
Dominion Cove Point’s Vice President of LNG Operations Mike Frederick made the announcement Tuesday, Oct. 7 during the weekly meeting of the Calvert County Commissioners. Frederick characterized the bypass road as “an enhancement to emergency preparedness. This enhancement is part of our long-standing commitment to ensure the safety of the community and contribute to the overall well-being of the community.”
According to Frederick, Dominion has begun the necessary survey work. The road, he stated, “will enable residents living east of our terminal to have another egress point from Cove Point Road in the unlikely event of an emergency. The new road will link Cove Point Road east of the plant entrance to Dasher Drive and provide access to Little Cove Point Road. All work will be done at our expense.”
The bypass road would only be open to traffic “when necessary,” Frederick explained, and is expected to be constructed before the plant’s planned liquefaction unit is completed. That project, which is estimated to cost $3.8 billion, is expected to take three years to complete. Last week the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) gave its approval of the project. The bypass road, Frederick pointed out, is not being required by FERC as a condition for moving forward with the liquefaction unit, which will give the 40-year-old plant the capability of exporting LNG to foreign countries.
“Thank you for taking the initiative when it wasn’t required,” Commissioner Susan Shaw [R] told Frederick.
At least one local citizen was unimpressed with Dominion’s road plan.
Tracey Eno, representing Calvert Citizens for a Healthy Community, an organization that opposes the export project at the plant, followed Frederick’s remarks by declaring the new road “must make sense. It doesn’t make sense.”
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com