Coastal Conservation Association (CCA)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 28, 2005
CONTACT: Ted Venker, 1-800-201-FISH

CCA to Rally Opposition
to Open Loop LNG Terminal

HOUSTON, TX – The second in a long list of liquefied natural gas terminals proposed for the Gulf of Mexico will be the focus of public hearings in Louisiana and Texas next week, and Coastal Conservation Association is urging its members to turn out in opposition to open-loop systems.

“CCA is vehemently opposed to any facility that does serious harm to marine life,” said Jeff Angers, executive director of CCA Louisiana. “We recognize that projects like this often have unforeseen and unintended consequences to marine resources that are difficult or impossible to reverse. We believe companies like Shell and ExxonMobil have a responsibility to act as stewards of the marine environment. A closed-loop system is the most responsible choice.”

CCA plans to testify at the public hearings in opposition to the construction of an open-loop terminal proposed by ExxonMobil off the coast of Cameron Parish. The hearings are being organized by the Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration. Shell US Gas & Power LLC earlier this year won a permit for an open-loop LNG terminal off the coast of Louisiana over the objections of CCA, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other state and federal agencies.

“There are reasonable alternatives to open-loop systems that do far less damage to the marine environment,” said David Cummins, CCA president. “We recognize that those alternatives may cost more to operate, but we cannot trade off our marine resources. The Coast Guard, the Maritime Administration and the oil companies cannot ignore impacts on marine resources in this decision process.”

The LNG facilities will convert imported LNG back into a gaseous state by circulating seawater through a radiator-like system to reheat it through the use of a closed-loop or open-loop system. Open-loop systems use a continuous stream of fresh seawater and filter millions of gallons of water per day in the regassification process, killing billions of fish eggs, larvae and plankton annually. Closed-loop systems reheat a limited amount of water to convert the gas with less impact on the environment, but are more expensive to operate.

CCA is urging its members and volunteers to attend the meetings and show opposition to the Pearl Crossing project.

The public hearings are all scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and will be held at the Holiday Inn Express in Sulphur, Louisiana on May 3, at the Johnsons Bayou Community Center in Johnsons Bayou, Louisiana, on May 4, and at the City of Portland Recreational Department in Portland, Texas, on May 5.