FERC: Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

H. What are the public safety issues related to LNG?

H. What are the public safety issues related to LNG?

Flammable Vapor Clouds
- If LNG is spilled, the resulting LNG vapors (methane) will warm, become lighter than air, and disperse with the prevailing wind. Cold LNG vapor will appear as a white cloud
- If a source of ignition is present where LNG vapors (methane) exist at 5%-to-15% concentration in the air, the vapor cloud will burn along a flame front toward the source of the fuel
- To keep the public safe, vapor dispersion exclusion zones are calculated and plotted to determine how far LNG vapors (methane) could possibly travel from a storage facility and still be flammable. These zones must not reach beyond a property line that can be built upon

Fires
- If LNG is spilled in the presence of an ignition source, a fire will result from the continuous evaporation of the LNG contained within the impoundment
- Since this fire would burn with intense heat, thermal exclusion zones are also calculated and plotted to keep the public at a safe distance from possible heat exposure
- "Liquefied Natural Gas Facilities: Federal Safety Standards" are found in Title 49 CFR Part 193 (You will be leaving FERC's website)

Dispelling the explosion myth
- LNG is not explosive. Although a large amount of energy is stored in LNG, it cannot be released rapidly enough to cause the overpressures associated with an explosion
- LNG vapors (methane) mixed with air are not explosive in an unconfined environment

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