A LOCAL politician is again calling for an independent quantified risk assessment for the operation of LNG ships at the South Hook jetty in Milford Haven to be made available to the public.

Plaid candidate, John Osmond, says he is still unconvinced that adequate safety checks have been carried out in regard to the South Hook operation.

He told the Merc: "When I have pressed the port authority's chief executive on this he has told me that there is no single risk assessment available but a whole series of overlapping studies.

"Yet two weeks ago Mr Sangster told the Mercury that an independent QRA had been commissioned by the Dragon LNG terminal and undertaken by Royal Haskoning in 2004.

"I contacted Mr Sangster and asked whether a similar independent assessment had been undertaken at South Hook. His response was extraordinary. He said I should ask the operators of the South Hook which includes Qatar Gas and Exxon Mobil.

Mr Osmond went on to say that when he approached the South Hook operators he was told that a QRA had been undertaken but they could not confirm whether this has been independently carried out as has been the case with Dragon LNG.

He said his concern all along has not been with the Dragon LNG jetty or installation, but with the South Hook jetty. This is the jetty, he says, that has been identified by retired Milford Haven pilots as presenting a problem because it abuts on a bend in the main shipping lane a mile or so out to sea, near Herbrandston.

He said: "Industry guidelines say that there should be a width of at least 900 feet between berthed tankers and passing large craft. Yet the passing width at this point is only 250 feet. If an incident were to occur, such as engine or steerage failure, then the reaction times allowed for are extremely small, perhaps less than 30 seconds.

"We are not campaigning against LNG coming to Milford Haven. Properly handled the initiative promises to bring significant economic benefits to the area. But the people of Milford Haven are entitled to know whether proper risk assessments have been carried out.

"The port authority says it is confident that LNG shipping can be handled safely in the port from the end of 2007. To reassure us and the public it should publish an independent assessment of the LNG operation at the South Hook jetty."