Security breach reported at Massachusetts LNG facility

BOSTON – Two people were seen on surveillance tapes cutting through a fence and climbing to the top of the storage tank at a liquefied natural gas storage facility in Lynn last week, but there is no evidence the incident was terrorist-related, state officials said Tuesday.

However, authorities were not pleased with the five-day lag between the Aug. 16 security breach and when KeySpan Corp. reported it to the state on Monday, said Mike Coelho, chief of staff of the state Executive Office of Public Safety.

“That’s less than ideal, that kind of reporting turnaround,” he said. “We’re not happy about it.”

KeySpan spokeswoman Carmen Fields said the company reported the incident as soon as KeySpan found out about it. She could not immediately say why the company didn’t discover it sooner.

According to the Executive Office of Public Safety, a chain-link fence surrounding the LNG storage facility was cut. Fields said no other damage was found.

“It’s under investigation by a variety of public safety entities as well as KeySpan, who is reviewing all of our security protocols,” Fields said.

No arrests have been made, Coelho said.

The state has notified all police departments with LNG storage facilities in their jurisdictions and the companies that run them of the breach and asked for increased security vigilance. The EOPS called the notifications precautionary.

Coelho said the state planned to discuss with KeySpan its reporting policies, saying there was a communication breakdown.

He called the LNG storage facilities “critical infrastructure” in Massachusetts, because of safety and energy concerns.

Fields said KeySpan has about half a dozen LNG storage facilities in Massachusetts, and no similar activity has been reported at the others. Coelho wouldn’t say how many LNG storage facilities are in the state for security reasons.

LNG is natural gas supercooled until it turns to liquid so it can be shipped. If released, it becomes a colorless, odorless vapor that can catch fire and explode in a confined area.

Government officials have expressed concerns about the safety of LNG facilities, particularly terminals served by ships that must pass through waterways near urban areas.

U.S. Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., called late Tuesday on Gov. Mitt Romney’s administration to order a comprehensive review of security plans at LNG and other critical infrastructure facilities in the state to prevent future security breaches.

Coelho declined to comment.

“This incident raises serious questions about the adequacy of the perimeter security and surveillance monitoring in place at this facility,” said Markey, a senior member of the House Homeland Security and Energy and Commerce committees.