The San Juan Bay Pilots say New Fortress Energy has not yet submitted documentation showing that its vessel, the Amur River, can dock at its terminal without occupying part of the federal navigation channel. According to the pilots, the Federal Court ordered New Fortress to produce documentation that would allow a determination of whether the Amur River fits at the pier.
As of Tuesday, they said, the company had not filed a document demonstrating that the ship can berth without taking up part of the route used by other vessels. The Amur River is a tanker that carries liquefied natural gas for New Fortress Energy. The pilots' concern is that, given its dimensions, the ship would occupy part of the federal channel while docked.
That channel is the route used by vessels entering and leaving the bay and must remain clear for safe transit. The pilots noted that the Coast Guard's Letter of Recommendation for the terminal assumes a docked vessel will not occupy part of that channel, and added that the facility's assessment considered vessels narrower than the Amur River.
They asked New Fortress to determine what measures it will take to protect the channel and the vessel if the ship occupies part of the route while docked. One proposed alternative was keeping tugboats available to protect the tanker from nearby marine traffic. The pilots said New Fortress has neither accepted those measures nor proposed others.
They reiterated they are willing to bring the Amur River to the dock as soon as their safety concerns are addressed.