The Southern California coast is one of our greatest gifts
from Mother Nature. From surfing and boating to just hanging
out at the beach, the coast provides recreation and respite
for families, and draws visitors from every part of the
world, fueling the region's economy.
Now our irreplaceable Southern California coast may be at
risk. The world's largest mining company, BHP Billiton, has
proposed building a massive Liquefied Natural Gas complex
just off the Southern California coast.
If this project is approved, BHP Billiton would build a
floating terminal for supertankers bringing LNG from foreign
countries. To hold the 72 million gallons of LNG delivered
by the supertankers, the complex would include three storage
tanks rising 160 feet out of the sea. From the storage
tanks, two pipelines would be laid across the ocean floor
for 22 miles before they reach land.
I understand the need to seek alternative sources of
energy as our state grows. But BHP Billiton's proposal
carries a risk we can't afford to take.
BHP Billiton assures us that this huge offshore complex
would be perfectly safe. But this unproven technology would
be put into practice for the first time off our coast at
Oxnard and Malibu.
Liquefied
Natural Gas should not be confused with the natural gas that
many of us use in our homes. LNG is a concentrated form of
natural gas and can burn at extremely high temperatures.
Because of its massive size, an accident or terrorist attack
at the BHP Billiton processing plant could create a flash
fire that would burn out of control. A blaze that involved
only two of the three planned storage tanks could produce a
fire extending more than 7 miles, according to safety
experts. In February, the federal Government Accountability
Office declared that LNG safety studies are inadequate and
we need to know more about LNG transport and processing.
Despite assurances of safety, large-scale explosions at
LNG facilities have happened in the past. Just two years
ago, an LNG pipeline in Nigeria sprung a leak that ignited
and caused the pipeline to explode. The resulting fire
consumed 16.5 square miles before it was extinguished —
after 48 hours of firefighting.
If we were going to trust a company to experiment with
this new technology, the first thing we should do is look at
its safety record. Let's take a look at BHP Billiton. In the
Gulf of Mexico, BHP Billiton promised residents that its
natural gas platform was hurricane proof. So what happened
to that natural gas platform during Hurricane Rita in 2005?
It was torn from its moorings and drifted for more than 100
miles before coming to rest, upside down.
Fully 43 percent of the goods imported into America
travel through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Just
a few days' delay in the movement of goods can cost our
businesses millions.
The proposed BHP Billiton LNG complex off our coast is
just too risky. There are proven alternatives to meeting our
energy needs. Energy conservation, solar energy, wind power
and vast quantities of geothermal power — available right
here in California — along with existing natural gas
supplies can meet California's energy needs.
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Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys, is a member of the California
Assembly.