Marketing Communications

CASE 10 341

Table 10.9 Key governmental stakeholders

Commonwealth

of Massachusetts

z Governor and key staffers within the Economic Affairs, Consumer Affairs, Telecommunications and

Energy, and Public Safety Offices

z State Senators and Representatives of the district, and Senators and Representatives involved in

energy, commerce and public safety

z Massachusetts Port Authority

z Public safety officers, including the Massachusetts State Police and State Fire Marshall

Federal z The US Coast Guard

z The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

z The US Department of Energy

z The US Department of Transportation

z Senators and Representatives within the Massachusetts delegation

Local z Mayor of Everett, Everett Police and Fire Departments

z Everett Common Council

z Everett Board of Aldermen

z Mayor of Boston, Boston Police and Fire Departments

z Boston City Councillors

z Chelsea City Manager, Chelsea Police and Fire Departments

With respect to security, all LNG ship officers, crew

members and Everett Terminal workers are carefully trained

and screened. Also, all LNG ships are boarded, inspected

and escorted by the US Coast Guard through Boston

Harbour. Although SUEZ has always been very committed

to safety and security, this became even more so after 9/11.

To counter the fear of LNG ships becoming a target for

terrorists, the company used a risk-based approach focused

on consequence determination, potential threats (as pro-

vided by federal authorities) and their outcomes. Several

initiatives were proactively taken to address credible threats

and to ensure that deliveries would continue. SUEZ intro-

duced a detailed security plan, hired more private security

personnel, increased employee awareness, installed onboard

satellite tracking systems as well as cameras that monitor

all areas of access, installed physical obstructions, etc. The

security plan prescribes guidelines for decision-making and

responses to conditions or incidents that may occur during

the transit within Boston Harbour. It was developed jointly

with the many stakeholders of the port of Boston, including

vessel agents, docking and harbour pilots, operational

Coast Guards units, port authorities, citizen action groups,

federal agencies and state and local emergency response

organisations. The security plan was hailed by Homeland

Defense Secretary Tom Ridge as one of the best in the country

and became a model for the Coast Guard’s Operation Safe

Commerce Project, a national effort to improve transporta-

tion safety and security. Also, several countries including

Australia, Algeria, Belgium, Qatar, Trinidad, Tobago, the UK

and Japan have made requests for the plan.

SUEZ’s lobbyists are in constant contact with both local

and national officials. More specifically, they are in contact

almost daily with local officials of one type or another in

the city of Everett. With state officials and other local area

entities, the company has as much contact as is needed.

This can vary from many times daily to weekly or bi-weekly.

These contacts range from face-to-face discussions to

provision of literature and reports.

Communities

SUEZ is led by the same objectives regarding community

groups as with public officials: inform them on the need,

the importance, the advantages and the safety and security

of the product and the company. To this end, the company

regularly tells the Chambers of Commerce that SUEZ is

willing at any time to make a presentation to or answer

questions from local groups such as neighbourhood asso-

ciations and the Everett Common Council and Aldermen. In

fact, about two to three times a year the latter call on the

company to provide an update on its business. These Everett

meetings are broadcast on local cable TV, increasing the

company’s reach enormously. Moreover, the company often

gives guest lectures for the Everett Public High School

students. Since students often talk about this at home, SUEZ

reaches both students and parents in this way. Furthermore,

it has also often led to favourable local press coverage.

SUEZ also demonstrates its commitment to the local com-

munity by being an active member of the Everett Chamber

of Commerce, The Everett Business–Education Cooperative,

the Everett Rotary Club, the Everett Kiwanis Club and the

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