Following a presentation by Weaver’s Cove Energy CEO Gordon Shearer, several town officials from Fall River, Mass. told the Herald News that the alternative offshore unloading proposal does not alleviate their concerns with the project.

The Center for Liquefied Natural Gas announced yesterday that Shell Ship Management Limited will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the American Maritime Officers Union (AMO) to begin recruiting qualified AMO officers for Shell’s international LNG fleet, including 25 new LNG vessels scheduled for delivery over the next two years. The signing ceremony will take place this morning at the U.S. Department of Transportation headquarters at 11:00 a.m.

NATS noted in its market comments released yesterday that as NYMEX natural gas prices rise in the United States, the spread between the U.K. and U.S. gas price levels has narrowed “considerably.” NATS suggests that should U.S. gas traders conclude that current gas inventory levels in the United States  are insufficient , imports may increase at the soon-to-be operational Sabine Pass and Freeport LNG terminals. [Subscription required]

Maryland Democratic Senators Barbara Mikulski and Benjamin Cardin, as well as Maryland Democratic Congressional Representatives Elijah Cummings, Dutch Ruppersberger and John Sarbanes, “condemned” the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) issued by FERC for the proposed Sparrows Point LNG terminal. The legislators also released a letter they sent to FERC Chairman Joseph Kelliher expressing their disagreement with the agency’s findings.

NorthernStar Natural Gas Inc., the developer backing the Bradwood Landing LNG terminal proposal, has filed a challenge to the proposed ballot title for a referendum on the Clatsop County (Ore.) Commission’s decision to allow pipelines on lands zoned for open space, parks and recreation (OPR). According to the Daily Astorian, the challenge was filed yesterday in Clatsop County Circuit Court and argues that the ballot title incorrectly implies that pipelines have never been permitted on OPR lands. Further, the challenge notes that the ballot language inaccurately states that the proposed pipeline will be used for LNG when it is actually designed to transport regasified natural gas.

Donald Smith, president of Quoddy Bay LNG, told Platts LNG Daily [subscription required] that he does not anticipate any long-term problems for the company’s LNG proposal for Maine, despite FERC’s decision to suspend review of Quoddy Bay’s LNG terminal application. In its letter announcing the decision, FERC stated that it did not have enough information to continue to review the application at this time. Smith told Platts that he expects to provide the information requested by FERC before the end of the summer.

According to Platts LNG Daily, Angela O’Connor, president of the New England Power Generators Association, expressed concern that new sources of LNG being imported into New England may result in changes in gas quality that potentially could affect electric reliability. [Subscription required]

Last week, Columbia Riverkeeper, a group opposed to the proposed Bradwood Landing LNG terminal, voiced concerns regarding various changes to the project design that are under consideration and requested that FERC prepare a new environmental impact statement. Read more in the Daily Astorian.

An editorial in the Daily Astorian argues that the U.S. Coast Guard’s concerns regarding H.R. 2830, which requires the Coast Guard to enforce security zones around U.S. LNG import terminals and vessels transiting to those facilities, are legitimate and warranted.

Broadwater Energy announced yesterday that it plans to appeal the decision of New York State to deny federal consistency of its proposed LNG terminal under the state’s Coastal Zone Management Plan to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. According to Newsday, several elected officials and environmental activists predict that, despite the appeal, the Broadwater LNG project ultimately will not be approved for construction.