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City Council may oppose proposed LNG terminal
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More from Other NewsThe council members told the staff on Tuesday to draft the resolution so they could review it and decide whether to go on record opposing the offshore facility. If it passes, Councilman John Zaragoza said Wednesday, he would like the resolution to go to federal and state regulatory agencies and to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The governor could have the final say on the proposed LNG terminal.
Officials said the law gives the U.S. secretary of transportation the authority to license an offshore facility such as an LNG terminal. They also said the secretary of transportation may not issue a license without the OK of the governor.
The council expects to receive a draft resolution at its July 13 meeting.
Two liquefied natural gas deep-water port facilities are being proposed. Potential sites include off Oxnard, Malibu, Ventura and Santa Barbara shores.
Recently, Malibu adopted a resolution opposed to an offshore LNG terminal, citing environmental and health issues.
Critics also say the LNG process is too dangerous, fraught with the potential for catastrophic consequences in the event of a spill, which could emit a large, extremely flammable vapor cloud.
The company says the proposed facility would deliver more than 200 billion cubic feet of natural gas annually to California, enough to provide 25 percent of the state's residential energy needs. Officials estimated it could save Southern California $54 billion a year through lower natural gas prices.
Company representatives say liquefied natural gas has an impeccable safety record, adding that vessels carrying gas have made more than 21,000 voyages around the world without any major incidents. There are liquefied natural gas plants in Massachusetts, Maryland, Georgia and Louisiana.
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