BOSTON, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- A tanker was unloading its cargo of liquefied natural gas in Boston Harbor Tuesday amid high security and concerns over potential terrorist attacks.
The 860-foot Matthew, surrounded by Coast Guard gunships, docked at the Distrigas tank farm in Everett late Monday night after a federal judge ruled the city of Boston had no legal power to keep the vessel out and failed to show any specific threat to the ship.
Despite assurances from the Coast Guard that the operation was safe, Boston Fire Chief Paul Christian remained unconvinced, particularly because tankers are scheduled to make deliveries of the dangerous heating fuel to the port every 10 days.
"I'm worried about the 10th ship and the 40th ship and the 70th ship," he said.
Acting Gov. Jane Swift, however, supported the judge's decision to deny an injunction to ban the delivery.
"I think we are at a time when we can safely bring that tanker into port," Swift said.
The Matthew was the first LNG tanker to come into Boston Harbor since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Five deliveries scheduled since then were canceled, but the Coast Guard last week lifted the ban, prompting Boston Mayor Thomas Menino to file suit seeking an injunction.
U.S. District Judge Reginald C. Lindsay Monday morning refused to issue the injunction, saying that while he understood the city's concerns a terrorist attack on an LNG tanker could engulf part of the port in a catastrophic fire, the Coast Guard had the legal right to allow the ship to come in.
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., spoke in support of the city, saying it is "probably the only place in the world where the tankers would go right through the downtown into the holding facility."
It took the tanker more than two hours to make the more than 8-mile journey through the harbor and under the Tobin Bridge to the Distrigas facility across the Mystic River from Boston's Charlestown section.
A flotilla of Coast Guard gunships and fireboats escorted the tanker during its transit in the dark, while armed guards patrolled the shores.
Other boat traffic in the harbor, including commuter boats, was halted during the transit, and the Tobin Bridge was closed as the tanker glided by just below.
It was expected to take about 12 to 24 hours to unload the tanker.
Even though Menino said he would not appeal the judge's decision, he has asked national homeland security director Tom Ridge to intervene to stop future deliveries until the Coast Guard shares safety plans with city officials.
"We need more information," Menino said, a sentiment echoed by the fire chief.
"The safe transport of this shipment does not indicate all is well," said Christian. "The plans we've seen so far are very general and unrealistic."
The Coast Guard said in a statement it would not discuss specific security procedures "due to operational and port security concerns."
