It pays not only to be in the right place at the right time but to also have the right expertise. With this in mind, officials at Maine Maritime Academy are positioning the school to meet the growing demands of the liquefied natural gas industry. Having the school play a role in the training of the crews that handle the super-cooled gas will have many benefits in Maine and beyond.

High oil prices and demands for other energy sources, especially those that are less polluting, have led to a rapid expansion of the LNG industry. Demand for crews trained to handle LNG tankers is expected to double by 2009, according to industry experts. Within five years, the industry is expected to need an additional 5,000 officers just to handle the 100 new LNG ships that are on order. Because these ships will be among the most sophisticated built and due to the safety concerns surrounding LNG, properly trained crews are essential.

To meet the demand, MMA and the country’s other maritime academies plan to alter their curriculums. The school may eventually offer a minor in LNG operations. Well-trained crews are paramount in an industry dogged with concerns about safety.

Although no LNG tanker has been involved in an accident, there are concerns that the cargo could be a terrorist target. A report from Sandia National Laboratory, an unclassified copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press this week, says there is a low probability of a spill from an LNG tanker caused by a terrorist attack. However, the federal research facility warned that such a spill, if it were to occur, would cause widespread damage.

If a fire occurred at a port where LNG was being delivered, it would be hot enough to burn skin and damage buildings a mile away. LNG, which is transported at minus-260 degrees, cannot explode and is not flammable. But a missile or explosive could rip a hole in a tanker or storage tank and the escaping liquid would be transformed into a gas, which could ignite a large fire.

The report did not recommend barring LNG tankers from heavily populated areas, but it did recommend “rigorous deterrent measure.” A well-trained crew, able to guard against and, if necessary, respond to a disaster, is the best deterrent. MMA is wise to prepare for such training now.