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EPA Releases Natural Gas Regulatory Roadmap

Release Date: 07/12/2006
Contact Information: Jessica Emond, (202) 564-4355 / emond.jessica@epa.gov

(Washington, D.C. - July 12, 2006) In an effort to advance President Bush's commitment to solving the nation's energy supply challenges, EPA released the "Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Regulatory Roadmap" today. The Roadmap offers guidance to industry on maintaining high environmental standards while new LNG facilities are being built.

"Over the past four years, the Bush Administration has worked to increase domestic energy supplies, encourage efficiency and conservation, and develop alternative and renewable sources of energy,"

said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "Under President Bush's leadership, we are addressing our nation's growing energy needs in a way that will improve the lives and the livelihoods of generations of Americans."

The Roadmap will serve as an aid to industry to ensure a clear understanding of the environmental obligations that EPA is required to enforce. These requirements will provide greater regulatory certainty during the construction and operation of LNG facilities, both onshore and offshore.

Natural gas continues to play an important role in meeting our nation's growing energy needs. In 2005, natural gas accounted for 23 percent of our nation's total energy consumption. Recent studies suggest that domestic consumption of natural gas will continue to increase and that imports of LNG will meet much of the increased demand.

LNG presents an efficient way to transport natural gas via ship from foreign production areas to the United States. The cooling process reduces the volume of natural gas by a factor of more than 600, enabling one ship to transport enough energy to heat more than 43,000 homes per year. Once LNG arrives at an import facility, the LNG is typically stored at atmospheric pressure in super-insulated tanks before it is converted back into a gaseous state for shipment via pipeline or, in some instances, transported via truck to market.

Roadmap information: https://www.epa.gov/newsroom/lngroadmap.htm