LNG: SACRIFICING OUR COAST TO HEAVY INDUSTRY?

By Lower Rio Grande Valley Sierra Club

Putting Port Isabel in the Evacuation Zone 

Texas LNG’s liquefied natural gas plant will be built less than TWO miles from Port Isabel. This is
within the 2.2-mile outer hazard zone developed by Sandia National Laboratories for LNG
tanker ships. And it violates the 3-mile hazard zone between recommended by chemical
engineer and LNG safety expert Dr. Jerry Havens.
A March 2014 explosion at a smaller LNG plant in Washington State forced an evacuation of hundreds of people within a two-mile radius.
Luckily the fire burned itself out and the LNG did not ignite, but a local fire chief noted that if it
had, everyone within three-quarters of a mile would have been killed.

LNG Processing and Transport Is Inherently Risky 

When LNG is spilled it evaporates and can form a flammable vapor cloud that can drift for miles. If the cloud encounters an ignition source it will burn back to the LNG spill. LNG fires burn so hot that first responders cannot approach. The LNG refrigeration process also uses fuels such as propane and ethylene to cool the gas, and these are even more volatile than methane.

On Track to Be the Largest Polluter in Cameron County 

Texas LNG has not reported their expected air pollution emissions, but liquefied natural gas export terminals are major sources of hazardous air pollutants. We can roughly estimate the level of Texas LNG’s pollution by comparing its planned production capacity with that of other LNG export terminals currently under construction in the U.S.
The emissions associated with Texas LNG’s .54 billion cubic feet per day production of LNG:
* Nitrogen Oxides (NOx): 702 tons per year 39 times what the Silas Ray Power
* Carbon Monoxide (CO): 1,080 tons per year People with heart disease are especially susceptible.
* Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs):  Carcinogens and neurotoxins. There is no safe level of VOCs.
* Greenhouse Gases (GHG) 1 million tons per year, 8 times the carbon footprint of the of the Silas Ray power plant
*Sulfur Dioxide (SO2): 2.4 tons per year, causes acid rain which could harm nearby marine environments
*Particulate Matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5): 46 tons per year. Causes asthma attacks. Cameron County already has high levels

Fouling the Air Our Children Breathe 

The prevailing winds in the area blow out of the south southeast. This means that more often than not, these pollutants will be blowing across the Port Isabel High School and Junior High campus.

Loss of Critical Habitat for Fish and Wildlife 

The Texas LNG site contains numerous wetlands that will be filled in, as well as starkly beautiful coastal prairie and dense brush that will be bulldozed and paved over. Its pollution, bright lights and heavy traffic will also degrade Bahia Grande, the largest wetlands restoration project in North America and an important aquatic nursery.

LNG Threatens Our Existing Jobs 

The massive industrialization and pollution that LNG will bring could erode important economic drivers such as commercial fishing, shrimping, and beach and nature tourism. Thousands of jobs here in the Rio Grande Valley depend on clean air, clean water and high quality fish and wildlife habitat. The lights and fiery flare stack will light up the sky within plain sight of South Padre Island’s beachfront hotels and condos, and the smog-producing emissions will foul the
air. Those are not the sights and smells that draw tourists.

No Economic Boon for South Texas 

South Korea will get the bulk of the skilled construction jobs not South Texas, because Texas LNG intends to build the liquefaction facility in South Korea and ship it to the Port of Brownsville on a barge. The Cameron County Commission is also expected to grant a ten-year tax abatement for all LNG companies, ensuring that all of Texas LNG’s profits will go to distant shareholders instead of local schools, fire departments and roads.

Texas LNG Open House Events 

              Brownsville                                                                    Port Isabel
    Brownsville Events Center                                      Port Isabel Cultural and Events Center
 Tuesday May 5 from 5 to 8 pm                                    Wednesday, May 6 from 5 to 8 pm