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It’s Not Too Late to
Say No to LNG
Say NO to the proposed Liquid Natural Gas
(LNG) facilities due to be built in Grand Bahama and Ocean Cay by Tractebel Corp
and AES
LNG is Dangerous
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Natural Gas ignites when mixed with 5 -15
% air. If there were a leak from the plant or in the ocean from the pipe,
there is potential for a national disaster. It would only take a cigarette
or a spark to cause the natural gas to ignite.
There have been many major accidents
involving LNG plants and pipelines worldwide. Cleveland 1944, 128 people killed;
Staten Island 1973, 40 people killed; Algeria 2004, 23 people killed, 74
injured, Gulf of Mexico 1989, 11 killed, Venezuela 1993 36 killed, New Mexico
2000, 11 killed, 1989, Russia 575 killed.
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In the United States LNG tankers are
escorted into port by US Coast Guard vessels equipped with weaponry.
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A 9% spill from a tanker could create a
plume 3 miles downwind within 10-20 minutes. It could ultimately reach
further 6-12 miles. If ignited, such a fireball would burn everything in its
path and by its radiant heat cause 3rd degree burns.
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The energy content of a single standard
LNG tanker carrying 125 thousand cubic meters is the equivalent to about 55
Hiroshima bombs. (Brittle Power)
LNG is harmful to the Environment, Fisheries
and Underwater Archeology
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According to a recent study,
the waters between The Bahamas and Florida are one of the most biodiverse areas
of the world. One of the major threats to this biodiversity is the laying of
natural gas pipelines.
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Up to 100 acres of seabed could
be damaged per mile of pipe laid. What repercussions does this have for our
Fishing, Diving and Tourism Industries?
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LNG underwater pipeline will cause a
change in water temperature. What effect will this have on ocean organisms
and fish eggs?
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Toxic smog-producing emissions from the
gas energy plant could be as high as 1.2 tons daily – how will this affect
our biodiversity on land and in water? This smog will also add to green
house gasses that cause global warming and sea level rise.
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Run off from the plant will include
acids, gas, diesel, oil and other hazardous materials being dumped into our
waters daily. What are these chemicals effects on sea life?
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LNG cooling systems dependent upon sea
water could cost us up to 4.9 billion fish eggs and larvae per year as water
is dredged from the ocean, cooled and returned at a lower temperature.
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Natural Gas is toxic to fish, what will
happen if there is a breach in the pipeline?
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Only 10 miles of the 43mile AES pipeline
route has been video surveyed. How do we know what impact the pipeline will
have on the remaining 33 miles of seabed?
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Noise created by the barges and the
laying of the pipelines will cause fish, whales and dolphins to abandon
their natural routes.
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In Florida they are boring under the
reefs but laying the pipeline on or through reefs in The Bahamas. Don’t the
sensitive reefs off The Bahamas deserve the same protection as those off
Florida?
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There is a historically valuable
shipwreck just north of the runway at Ocean Cay. It is a wooden ballast
stone wreck dating somewhere around the 1700-1800’s.
LNG needs to be regulated
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The Bahamas has no regulations or
expertise to monitor such a facility. In the US 10 -15 regulatory agencies
would weigh in on projects such as this. In The Bahamas there is only the
BEST Commission, an understaffed and under funded agency.
Information has not been shared
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Environmental Impact Assessments have not
been made adequately available to ALL Bahamians. YOU should have access to
these reports, within a reasonable time frame, to assess its impact on YOUR
country.
LNG can become a Terrorist target
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How would The Bahamas cope with a
terrorist attack aimed at an LNG plant? Last November, the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security warned that LNG facilities might be targets of al-Queda
terrorist attacks because LNG terminals and tankers are highly visible and
easily identified.
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How would this affect the Tourists
perception of personal safety in The Bahamas?
We were promised US Standards
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At no time have the US
standards for the location and operation of an LNG facility been presented to
the Bahamian public.
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The public should be allowed to
weigh in BEFORE the draft EIA is prepared so that local knowledge can be
incorporated. This was never done.
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In the US the public is able to
keep a breast of the review process between the company and the relevant
government agencies simply by joining an email list. This was never done.
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Sufficient time is given to the
public for comment on the project. Our government took over 2 years to review
the EIA and gave the Bahamian public 20 days to review and comment.
Why here and not Florida where the gas will
actually be consumed?
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AES, Tractebel and El Paso claim that the
reason they have come to The Bahamas is because Florida lacks the land
and deep water ports. That is untrue. Florida Bay is filled with little
islands that could support an LNG facility. The same way we will have to
dredge to accommodate their 12 story 40 ft draft LNG tankers so will Florida
have to sacrifice their seabed for THEIR energy needs.
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If Florida has already said no – why
should the Bahamas say yes?
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Why should we endanger our communities
and compromise our environment while Florida makes constant progress in
making it more difficult to destroy theirs?
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The Bahamas should not become the US
dumping ground for exporting their dirty energy.
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This is environmental racism pure and
simple.
Contact reEarth Phone/Fax 242 393 7604, Box N
302, Nassau, The Bahamas Email:
info@reearth.org
Web: www.reearth.org
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