Revision to Shoreline Substantial Development Permit
November 28, 2023
Puget Sound Energy (PSE) submitted an application for a revision (LU22-0197) to their 2015 Shoreline Substantial Development Permit. The revision includes installing additional fueling equipment on the Blair Waterway Dock. This is the same dock that currently supplies TOTE Maritime vessels with fuel from the nearby Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility. The new fueling equipment would be used to supply other ships, either directly at the dock or via an intermediary barge that would fill up at the dock and deliver fuel to ships at their own dock or at anchor in the Puget Sound.
With respect to permitting, both the state law (Washington Administrative Code) and local regulations (Tacoma Municipal Code Title 19) allow the recipient of a Shoreline Permit the ability to request a revision to an active permit provided certain criteria are met. The Director of Planning and Development Services, the person tasked with making the decision, as determined PSE proposal meets those criteria and the revision to the permit is granted.
The Washington Administrative Code, which sets forth the process specific to a Shoreline Revision, does not include an opportunity for public notice or comment prior to issuance of the decision. However, the decision summary is distributed to all parties to the original permit and there is a 21-day appeal period to the Shorelines Hearings Board.
Project Description and Background
The facility would chill natural gas to produce approximately 250,000 gallons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) daily for use as a reduced-emissions fuel for marine vessels and land-based vehicles, as well as for utility peak shaving during periods of high demand. A single eight-million gallon, non-pressurized full-containment LNG storage tank consisting of an inner nickel-steel tank and an outer concrete tank with interstitial insulation, would be located on the site. The facility would also include infrastructure for loading marine vessels with LNG from a new fueling platform and mooring dolphins to be installed on the Blair Waterway. Stormwater upgrades and environmental mitigation would occur in the Hylebos waterway. The facility will be built to the nation’s most current safety standards for this type of facility. The liquefaction facility would receive natural gas from PSE's existing natural gas pipeline distribution system.
Two new segments would be added to the distribution system to serve the facility:
- Approximately one mile of distribution pipeline in unincorporated Pierce County that will connect two existing distribution lines.
- Approximately four miles of distribution pipeline that will extend from the city of Fife into Tacoma to reach the liquefaction facility.
Tacoma LNG Fire and Safety Review-July 2, 2018
As part of ongoing permit review, the City of Tacoma Fire Department (TFD) contracted with Braemar Technical Services’ Engineering and Naval Architecture Group (Braemar) in May 2017 to evaluate the proposed design and siting of the PSE LNG Liquefaction Facility in the Port of Tacoma. The document linked below is a summary of their detailed review of the permitting documents (i.e., the design detail drawings) for the infrastructure and operations for the LNG project with intent to evaluate compliance with applicable adopted fire and safety codes and standards.
Tacoma LNG Fire and Safety Review Report
Quick Links
Permit Status
Safety Modeling Records
Frequently Asked Questions
Final Environmental Impact Statement
For additional information, contact Planning and Development Services, City of Tacoma, at (253) 591-5030 or Zoning@cityoftacoma.org.