Fears roused on LNG plan

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Friday, February 11, 2005

By LAWRENCE HAJNA
Courier-Post Staff

A plan by the city of Philadelphia to bring big ships carrying liquefied natural gas through the heart of the metropolitan region is sparking fears among residents on both sides of the Delaware River.

The city and its gas company, Philadelphia Gas Works, are exploring using the tankers to deliver liquefied natural gas, or LNG, to a terminal across the river from more than 7,500 homes proposed under redevelopment plans for Camden and Pennsauken.

Brenda Cruz, a 34-year-old Pennsauken resident, is startled by the idea of the tankers coming near her Curtis Avenue neighborhood. The two huge concrete-walled tanks of an existing LNG plant the gas works may expand to accommodate the ships are located across from her neighborhood.

Cruz, who runs a house-cleaning business, fears the tankers pose a safety risk.

“We don’t need that, we really don’t,” she said. “Our kids play at that river. Everyone would be against it.”

CourierPost