By Jim Barton
The Brownsville Observer Blog
Two issues can pack a room in Brownsville, Cameron County without the enticement of a free chicken plate; what to do with racist rocks and LNG, liquefied natural gas.
The LNG issue was definitely on the minds of those who filled a side room at Brownsville's Southmost Library Tuesday night for a Brownsville Navigational District candidate forum as evidenced by the fact that most of the questions in the Q&A part of the forum dealt with LNG. The event was co-sponsored by the Brownsville chapter of the League of Women Voters and Mary Helen Flores' Citizens Against Voter Abuse, CAVA.
Two candidates for the Brownsville Navigational District were no-shows, District 4 candidates Steve Guerra and Javier Vera. Vera sent his wife Nancy Vera, who showed up in culottes to read a statement on her husband's behalf. Mrs. Vera, describing her husband as a "good guy," stated that he had worked as an auditor at the port and favored "new growth that does not impact the environment."
Patrick Anderson, a single Los Fresnos teacher and the lone District 4 candidate to make the forum, confessed to having a stack of unwashed dishes in his sink due to the press of the campaign, stating that his campaign centered around public safety and ethics. He feels the Port of Brownsville's infatuation with fossil fuels ignores the profit and environmental protection of renewable energy.
Anderson feels that community leaders like Los Fresnos' Val Champion fail to look beyond the "facts" companies present, ignoring pollution issues. Anderson estimates that one LNG plant alone will emit 500,000 tons of pollution annually into the Cameron County atmosphere.
Cesar Lopez, currently president of the Brownsville Independent School District Board of Trustees, is seeking BND District 2, along with former city and county commissioner John Wood.
Lopez, who obviously favors the LNG plants, believes that the federal government will "properly vet" those companies.
After the meeting, Lopez and I briefly tussled about how many local jobs the LNG plants will create. I said that the industry was so safety conscious that they would ONLY hire those with LNG experience with locals relegated to janitorial, landscaping and security jobs only.
Lopez disagreed, stating that "hundreds of jobs" would be given to locals in constructing the plants.
John Wood, Lopez' opponent for District 2, states that the LNG companies are not "like the chemical plants of 40 to 50 years ago," but much safer and more conscientious with respect to the environment.
Wood said that LNG's safety record was "very good in the U.S."
Two issues can pack a room in Brownsville, Cameron County without the enticement of a free chicken plate; what to do with racist rocks and LNG, liquefied natural gas.
The LNG issue was definitely on the minds of those who filled a side room at Brownsville's Southmost Library Tuesday night for a Brownsville Navigational District candidate forum as evidenced by the fact that most of the questions in the Q&A part of the forum dealt with LNG. The event was co-sponsored by the Brownsville chapter of the League of Women Voters and Mary Helen Flores' Citizens Against Voter Abuse, CAVA.
Two candidates for the Brownsville Navigational District were no-shows, District 4 candidates Steve Guerra and Javier Vera. Vera sent his wife Nancy Vera, who showed up in culottes to read a statement on her husband's behalf. Mrs. Vera, describing her husband as a "good guy," stated that he had worked as an auditor at the port and favored "new growth that does not impact the environment."
Patrick Anderson, a single Los Fresnos teacher and the lone District 4 candidate to make the forum, confessed to having a stack of unwashed dishes in his sink due to the press of the campaign, stating that his campaign centered around public safety and ethics. He feels the Port of Brownsville's infatuation with fossil fuels ignores the profit and environmental protection of renewable energy.
Anderson feels that community leaders like Los Fresnos' Val Champion fail to look beyond the "facts" companies present, ignoring pollution issues. Anderson estimates that one LNG plant alone will emit 500,000 tons of pollution annually into the Cameron County atmosphere.
Cesar Lopez, currently president of the Brownsville Independent School District Board of Trustees, is seeking BND District 2, along with former city and county commissioner John Wood.
Lopez, who obviously favors the LNG plants, believes that the federal government will "properly vet" those companies.
After the meeting, Lopez and I briefly tussled about how many local jobs the LNG plants will create. I said that the industry was so safety conscious that they would ONLY hire those with LNG experience with locals relegated to janitorial, landscaping and security jobs only.
Lopez disagreed, stating that "hundreds of jobs" would be given to locals in constructing the plants.
John Wood, Lopez' opponent for District 2, states that the LNG companies are not "like the chemical plants of 40 to 50 years ago," but much safer and more conscientious with respect to the environment.
Wood said that LNG's safety record was "very good in the U.S."
16 comments:
We must look at the big picture, LNG will have to conform to the EPA,standards and regulations. Not so with Spacex, if it ever gets off the ground. Spacex has a mountain of problems at the moment, and Elton Musk is spreading himself to thin, at the moment. Please lookout that Spacex don't become another TITAN TIRES, as the Black Mamba Rene Oliviera is deep in bed with Spacex, and very soon you will hear a cry for MORE MONEY.
Actually SpaceX just filed for a permit to land their rocket in the Gulf and claims the launch pad is underway
The EPA is a dumpster fire right now. The EPA chief is a Trumpie who just got busted for installing a soundproof booth in his office to make calls that no one can listen to or overhear. What does the Environmental Protection Agency need a soundproof booth for? It's because the Republicans are not protecting the environment at all. Secretly cutting deals, exploiting for oil and gas and fossil fuels instead of protecting our resources and parks. The last thing they care about is the health and well-being of a bunch of brown skinned and illegal immigrants on the border. Wonder how much of this is going to come out in the emails that were seized when the fed's raided Trump's lawyer's house. The EPA is not going to protect us right now, we have to protect ourselves from this cancer. Besides, this area will likely explode with hemp production which would bring in billions of dollars to our economy, without trashing the Island's businesses or the port.
Time for change
Needs a board looking for the interest of the community not the few
Pulling permits don't make jobs appear, check out the cost per job. You could pay for a 100. People per year to clean the streets city, for what they are paying Spacex.
Taxes, Taxes, Taxes, Taxation without representation, hmmmm sounds like I heard this tune before in Boston Harbor, Boston Tea party? anyone remember history? Why not make it Brownsville Harbor tea party now, lol.
It is time for the Port of Brownsville (BND) to stop taxing the citizens of Cameron County. It is the tax payers who bear the burden when BND gives tax abatements to businesses at the Port. Time for the people to demand an end to that public tax. I will vote for anyone who supports the end of this tax.
From all the candidates I heard, the only respectable one was Mr. John Wood.
He has the experience to work with the public and does so in a very courteous manner. He is a true gentleman and even if we peons do not understand the full chemical relations of the LNG, we can place our trust on Mr. Wood. I certainly would vote for him in any position that he wishes to contribute to because he is not a slime ball that is out to line his pockets. His opponent surely has created a mess at BISD and he allows one woman to lead, guide and direct what he does or says on the school board. It is very obvious with the constant "thank-you's " he repeats 200 times directed at her during one meeting. I tend to want to vote for him just to get him out of BISD, but I would never select anyone over John Wood. We need to clone John Wood for all the rest of our politicians.
To: April 20, 2018 at 8:25 AM
Nice political ad Wood but you're not going to win.
John Wood is an honorable man, who will win pendejo
Why do you say that Wood is not going to win? So you know that the crooked politicos have already bought the election - maybe with the fajitas stolen from Darrel Hester - or the contaminated meat they bought from the Mexican people for BISD. Cesar claims prove leadership. Who proved and what criteria did they use to prove it. If he beats Mr. Wood, the people who vote for him be castrated, for he castrating all of us citizens who voted from him when we didn't know any better. Eso nos sacamos por pendejos. Cesar, no tienes vuerguenza corriendo en contra de un senor tan respetoso como John Wood. Los debes de imitar y no corer encontra de el. No puedes con la vieja Atkinson y ahora quieres chingar al Puerto.
we need a token vote madera...
Wood will never win stop sucking on white winnies pinche coco!!!!
VIII. LNG Spill Prevention and Risk Management
From an LNG vessel damage viewpoint, the analyses conducted and presented in this report suggest that significant damage is likely to LNG vessels from medium and large breach events and spills. Therefore, a large breach and spill could have both short-term and long-term impacts on public safety, energy security and reliability, and harbor and waterway commerce at some sites.
Risk management options should be focused on approaches that can be used to actively prevent or mitigate larger spills.
• Implementation of enhanced operational security measures, to include:
o Positive control of other vessel movements during LNG vessel transits and operations;
o Review of LNG vessel escort protocols and operations to improve the ability to enforce exclusion zones through enhanced standoff and active interdiction approaches;
• Review of port operational contingency plans to ensure procedures are in place to address larger spills, to include options for moving the vessel to a safe anchorage to monitor, inspect, and assess damage, and for longer-term response options, including vessel lightering;
• Review of emergency response coordination and procedures for the LNG vessel, terminal or port, port authority, and emergency response groups to reduce the overall impacts and consequences of larger spills;
To implement all these safety hazards will cost a lot monies. Where is all this coming from. You guessed it. "TAXES"
And what did wood say - "but much safer and more conscientious with respect to the environment"
LNG record is acceptable but to maintain the necessary operations of a safety program who will pay for the upkeep guess - ?
Is the fire dept prepared or trained for a chemical accident? Do they need specialized equipment for this type of accidents? Is the port going to build a fire station located at the port? How about the hospitals are they equiped and trained for this kind of accidents?
Now the real question. WHO IS GOING TO PAY FOR ALL OF THE ABOVE? TAXPAYERS OF COURSE.
Who is going to benefit from LNG coming down here?
The realestate companies like cardenas, bernards, mayor martinez and a lot of other realestate agencies. NOT THE TAXPAYERS!!!
ALL OF THIS FOR ONLY 300 LABOR JOBS. THEY REALLY THINK WE ARE A BUNCH OF PENDEJOS. ARE WE???
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