The US Coast Guard and the guild of harbor pilots in San Juan Bay objected on 2026-09-04 to New Fortress Energy's request to dredge the area where its docks moor to supply fuel to its natural gas terminal. ^[1] If NFEnergía fails to respond within 30 days, USACE will assume the company has no further interest in obtaining the permit and will withdraw the application, effectively closing the process for the Micro-Fuel Handling Facility Project. ^[2] The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) issued a letter on August 31 warning NFEnergía that it has 30 days to respond to objections regarding the safety of a proposed floating gas storage project in San Juan Bay. ^[3] According to the US Coast Guard, the dredging project would allow the almost permanent anchoring of larger vessels that would obstruct the navigable channels of the port of San Juan. ^[4] New Fortress Energy requested the dredging of the area where its docks moor in San Juan Bay to allow the anchoring of larger capacity vessels at its natural gas terminal. ^[5] USACE found that NFEnergía had previously indicated in a filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that it had obtained authorization for certain activities, but USACE clarified that the 2019 permit had expired and did not cover the proposed dredging or extending the mooring line 36 feet into the water. ^[6] Vivian Gerena, the manager of the Regulatory Program for Latin America and the Caribbean at USACE, signed the letter stating that the 2019 permit for dock work has expired and does not authorize the proposed dredging or new mooring configuration. ^[7] The natural gas tankers that New Fortress Energy imports remain anchored in front of the terminal in San Juan Bay for two to three weeks until they are relieved by another ship. ^[8]