When the Brownsville Economic Development Council VP Gilbert Salinas was shilling for SpaceX, he used to poo-hoo the dangers of rocket fuel explosions by saying that it was the same kerosene he used for his campfires on Boca Chica Beach.And just recently, Port of Brownsville CEO and Director Eddie Campirano wrote an Op-Ed piece in the Brownsville Herald claiming that the natural gas that was to be shipped liquefied from the proposed Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) export terminals was the same gas your momma used in her kitchen stove.
In BEDC's Salinas' case, if Gilbert used the kind of kerosene used in SpaceX rocket engines and lit the match, his remains would probably be found somewhere off the jetties five miles away.
Likewise, Campirano's facile comparison of kitchen-stove natural gas to the LNG that the companies want to ship from the port begs belief.
Jim Barton, in his blogspot http://meanmisterbrownsville.blogspot.com/ outlines the incredibly complex process which takes piped in natural gas with all its contaminants and converts them to shippable liquid gas. It is a process fraught with risk, albeit one that has been mastered to a degree by the companies.
Both these men – in their quest to boost their wares – do the public (and their causes) a disservice by downplaying the seriousness of the hazards inherent in their projects.
Salinas spoke of 600 jobs with SpaceX at a wage of $70,000 while the LNG plants talk of 100s of jobs at a minimum of $55,000. Both of these are exaggerated.
How many petrochemical and LNG engineers are walking around begging for jobs locally? How many are being trained as we speak to get their PhDs in chemistry?
Likewise, how many rocket propulsion engineers and rocket scientists are on the local job market waiting to be hired by Elon Musk and help him get to Mars? SpaceX saifn in its Environmental Impact Statemetn that it would hire perhaps 150 full-time employees to launch its satellites off Boca Chica, not 600 at $50,000. We suspect the same goes for the LNG facilities.
The opponents of the LNG terminals can also take a cue from the crass exaggerations of these men. The points against these enterprises can be made without the graphics showing the port going up in flames. If the people want to protect the environment and don't ant these facilities, they don;t need to be scared into not wanting them. An up-front, honest appeal to them to protect the environment for their children would suffice while countering the "hundreds" of good paying job claims.
The companies have not yet leased the sites at the port. They have been given the option to lease after they pass the required regulatory guidelines for their construction. The port cannot legally discriminate against them exercising their option to lease like anyone else, including the shipwrecking companies and fuel depots there already.
Let's get some common sense and honesty into this conversation.
7 comments:
Gilnert Salinas is a pendejo....so is Campirano Juan....vatos sebosos!
Shut up Zeke.
Campriano is hoping for a great financial windfall from the LNG companies who want to locate at the Port....on land that is basically worthless for farming or ranching, and is subject to flooding. So, Campriano is biased and we would expect him to promote the LNG because it potentially makes him look good and increases financial benfits to the port and to him. What we really want to hear from Campriano is that if the LNG locates here, the Port (BND) will cease taxing local citizens. The port is a business and should not have to be supported by local tax payers. NO MORE TAXES TO BND!!!!
The big question is "Will LNG companies be able to pass the environmental requirements at the BND?". The areas that the LNG companies want to occupy are filled with protected plants and animals. The Army Corps of Engineers have stiff requirements to protect the natural habitat. Campriano seems to poo-poo
this issue.
NEW SUBJEC
Juan, a recent TV article addressed wind farms. One was near Rio Hondo, and one is located at Hebronville. The article said P.U.B. owned the wind farm in Hebronville. I don't remember anything made public about the PUB ownership of an energy facility outside Cameron County. When did PUB fund this windfarm and why was it so secretive.
@anonymous @ 12:24
I believe they were referring to the Texas Public Utility Commission and not the
Brownsville Municipal Utility (BPUB).
It sounds like you allowed Ralph Cowen to blow smoke up your ass, Juan. No one is disputing the fact that the port cannot "legally discriminate" and that the LNG plants have a legal option to lease. That was settled long ago when the commissioners voted to open the door to LNG plants in exchange for a couple of million dollars. The port commissioners have no further say so in the matter. And you're right, the LNG plants have every legal right to do what they want with the property. But that is a kipper and has nothing to do with the fact that LNG plants will pollute the air and water. As a taxpaying citizen, I would like to know where and pct.1 candidates Benavidez and Rosenbaum stand on the issue of LNG at the port.
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