Fishing has been excellent since the storm. But I found the specked trout to have a slight beer flavor.
Posted on 05/06/2006 6:04:36 AM PDT by Ellesu
Fears for fisheries take front seat over possible economic benefits :
Placing the state's environment over its economy, Gov. Kathleen Blanco on Friday night vetoed a proposed billion-dollar liquefied natural gas port off Louisiana's coast because of the impact it might have on the state's fisheries.
The Main Pass Energy Hub, proposed by New Orleans-based Freeport McMoRan Energy LLC, would have been about 16 miles off Louisiana's coast and would have supplied about 350 billion cubic feet of natural gas a year, enough to supply a state the size of Mississippi for a year. But the jobs and natural gas the port would have brought into the state were apparently outweighed by concerns that the port could kill billions of fish eggs and larvae as it sucked in seawater to reheat the supercooled gas.
"As stewards of the public trust, this office and our state agencies and executive departments, have both a constitutional and a statutory duty to preserve and protect Louisiana's coastal and offshore marine environment, ecosystem, and fisheries for the benefit of our current and future citizens. The approval of the pending license application, without sufficient persuasive data in support, would be inconsistent with this public trust doctrine," Blanco wrote in her letter of opposition to the federal Maritime Administration.
Blanco's opposition to the project means that the project as designed is dead. Blanco had until Monday to support or oppose the port. The Maritime Administration provides permits for the ports.
(Excerpt) Read more at nola.com ...
Distribution for one thing.
The Atlantic coast isn't immune to hurricanes, BTW. I seem to recall reading recently that the hurricane forecast for this season predicts more Atlantic hurricanes this year.
the culture (like keeping the headhunter tribes viable in new guinea)
Good points. But they are still stuck on stupid. I see.
I'd say its a skosh late to be worried about Louisiana's fisheries.
"This ain't the first natural gas port on an ocean front. Surely we can find out what happened at previous ones, and if something needs to be done better then changes can be made accordingly."
Japan imports about 50% of the worlds LNG supply. I assume they still are in the fishing bidness.
Why don't we just give LA back to France and let them support this third world country?
And in a related story, Blank_O outlaws bic lighters, as they harm the flint and tender sales. Why the sticks and rocks sales are practically nonexistant now!
The surplus BTU's from the LNG (aprox 270°F BELOW zero )could be used for blast freezing seafood. Why waste it on sea water?
"Louisiana, where half the state is under water and half politicians are under indictment"
Where did you get the information that it would kill off the fisheries,or are you taking a politian's word that a statment is in fact the trith!
truth sorry!
The last poll I saw, I think it was in March, had Blank-0's approval rating in the mid-20's. Having known her and her family for over a decade before she was foisted on this state, I warned anybody who would listen that she was a complete buffoon. Katrina merely proved what I'd been saying for years.
Freeport McMoran has approached this project, using an existing platform, MP299, or Main Pass 299(which can be googled) or more info by going here. This platform is probably closer to Pascagoula than New Orleans, but the onshore infrastructure in Mississippi is not there, "yet". Main Pass 299, for years, produced liquid sulphur. Probably would take about 50 miles of pipeline into Mississippi. Trouble though, FreeMac has BIG Louisiana ties. This may just be a speed bump in the road.
You're right about Freeport McMoran having big ties in the state. I think all they have to do is threaten to move their headquarters to Texas, and the legislature will correct the latest Blank-0 mistake with a veto override real quick. They may not even have to do anything. Even though Kathleen is too stupid to realize it, I have a feeling the legislators know that New Orleans can't afford to lose FreeMac.
Can this veto be overridden?
With the Louisiana bunch, the bribes could have come from either faction. Those who wanted more to place it there, or more from out of state interests.
Oil and Gas rigs have provided more manmade reef habitats than any negative impact on fisheries in the Gulf.
IMHO, the only significance of her position is that she has telegraphed her position as a liar.
"Could"..."might" ?????
Remember when environuts said drilling platforms would endanger sea life. It turned out they loved the platforms and used them like natural reefs.
Oh well, Blanco is just one of those Democratic pols who has succumbed to the environuts arguments.
She said in her veto that she would support a closed loop system that uses gas, rather than water, to reheat the supercooled gas. But Freeport has said that option would cut too deeply into its profits.
The "open loop" design is a BIG concern among the fishing industry. Warm sea water is used to heat the gas and the water is cooled after it vaporizes the gas. The temperature change could effect the survival of fish eggs, larve, plankton, etc. The "closed loop" design may be a little more expensive to build, but the environmental impact is far less.
Fishing has been excellent since the storm. But I found the specked trout to have a slight beer flavor.
Easy. Use the profits from the project to put towards the fisheries. A think a million or two could buy us a lot of fish.
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