Natural Gas Terminals Off So. Cal. Coast

A natural gas terminal has been proposed by an Australian firm that would sit 22 miles south of Malibu.

Australia’s Woodside Energy, hoping to overcome environmental and safety concerns, is expected to unveil plans today to place a liquefied natural gas terminal in the Pacific Ocean about 22 miles south of Malibu.

It would be the latest of half a dozen proposals to meet California’s growing demand for clean-burning energy by importing liquefied natural gas. A debate over the safest way to handle the volatile fuel has dogged all of the projects.

The terminal would be little more that an a ship mooring with a connection to the Southern California Gas Company delivery network. Further, the mooring site would be located between Malibu and Catalina island and wouldn’t interfere with regular shipping.

The Malibu Times is pointing out some possible problems with another proposed LNG terminal,

A government re-examination of the liquefied natural gas terminal proposed for 13.8 miles off Malibu’s western coast predicts BHP Billiton’s Cabrillo Port “would result in both short- and long-term adverse impacts” to the coast and its residents that cannot possibly be mitigated.

Increased smog levels, the intrusion of a 14-story-high factory ship on Malibu’s coastal horizon, and the extremely remote possibility of a 14-mile-wide flash fire reaching to within seven miles of the city limits are among negative impacts that cannot be corrected or avoided, identified in the report.

Another concern was possible terrorism,

Much of the new analysis is based on comments from Malibu and Oxnard residents during public hearings in 2004. Some questions raised at those hearings, like the possibility of terrorists firing shoulder-mounted missiles at the gas ships, were raised for the first time by members of the public and evaluated in the second report.

The report avoids discussion of precise security measures based on national security grounds, but hints that armed patrol boats could be stationed next to Cabrillo Port: “The safety zone would be patrolled and would deter intruders in accordance with the security plan,” the report states. It says successful delivery of a missile “would be unlikely.”

FILED UNDER: Economics and Business, Terrorism, , ,
Steve Verdon
About Steve Verdon
Steve has a B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles and attended graduate school at The George Washington University, leaving school shortly before staring work on his dissertation when his first child was born. He works in the energy industry and prior to that worked at the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the Division of Price Index and Number Research. He joined the staff at OTB in November 2004.

Comments

  1. Steven Plunk says:

    Clean burning natural gas would help the entire west coast meet it’s energy needs. LNG terminals are being proposed up and down California, Oregon, and Washington. The market demand is there and the alternatives less attractive, unless.

    Unless you are a “environmentally aware” dip wad. This reminds me of the wind farm proposals that environmentalists are fighting across the country. Good option are available but these people would rather see us return to time of less energy consumption regardless of the effects on the economy.

    Nimby is another word that comes to mind. The brazen idea that this would put a ship’s profile on the horizon just melts the minds of the Malibu mafia. They paid top dollar for those mansions so how could we dare to such a thing. Of course ships move up and down the coast all the time but a parked one would seem different.

    This again exposes the hypocrisy and lies of the leftist environmental movement. A movement that we in the northwest have watched destroy communities and lives. Selfish and self centered they only see as far as their own interests and preferences. A product of the baby boom generation these people apparently haven’t done enough to ruin this country so they continue with garbage like this.

    Let’s hope the Governator steps up and gets this done.

  2. NIMBY (Not In My Beachfront propertY) strikes again.

  3. hugh says:
  4. anonymous says:

    They bought the missiles and increased their territorial waters, so I guess its okay; but there was that Pacific Rim Tsunami……..

  5. anjin-san says:

    Pretty selfish of the environmental movement not to want to see the planet reduced to one giant toxic swap. Selfish bastards…

  6. LJD says:

    Yes, we don’t want a ‘toxic swap’.

    I hope you don’t drive a car, or heat your home, or use hot water, or use any plastics, or chemicals, or…

    This is all about an ocean view and nothing more. A handful of people have luxury homes perched on the cliffs, repeatedly rebuilt by tax dollars after fires and floods. Meanwhile, millions living in the basin do not have easy and afordable access to resources needed for daily life. Screw them, a couple of rich people’s views ar more important.

  7. anjin-san says:

    LJD,

    We all use modern conviences. But it is not difficult to move twoards a green lifestyle. Probably too difficult for you, but not difficult.

  8. LJD says:

    A ‘green lifestyle’ is not sitting on the beach doing bong hits…