Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Ted Danson and more joined the voices of local residents in protesting the proposed liquefied natural gas facility for the Malibu/Oxnard coast.
By Melonie Magruder / Special to The Malibu Times
The waters around Malibu Surfrider Beach were teeming with surfing activists Sunday at a celebrity-laden “Paddle Out Protest” against the proposed liquefied natural gas facility to be built off the coast between Malibu and Oxnard.
Several hundred people showed up for the event at Malibu Pier to join hands with coastal advocates and environmentally concerned Malibu residents in an effort to keep the controversial LNG terminal away from local shores. National press vied with Hawaiian hula dancers on the pier to greet movie stars and get the scoop on the real impact of the energy plant proposed by BHP Billiton, the Australian energy company.
Local resident Pierce Brosnan is one of the leaders in the effort to prevent the terminal’s approval.
“Malibu has been my home for the past 23 years and is near and dear to me,” he said. “This plant is not just a ‘clean fuel’ alternative. It will affect the air we breathe and the water we drink.”
Noting that the planned terminal is massive in size-“fourteen stories high and longer than three football fields”-Brosnan said the potential damage from the proximity of this terminal to our shores is “incalculable.”
“Human error alone at the plant could create ungodly problems while our on-going air quality will be miserable at best,” he said.
Susan Jordan, of the non-profit California Coastal Protection Network, said the terminal, which would be located about 14 miles off shore from Point Dume, could present a catastrophic health hazard.
“Should there be an accident, LNG fires burn so hot that you can’t put them out. You simply have to wait until all the gas burns off. It is incredibly ironic that Gov. Schwarzenegger signed the recent clean air bill from a site [at Pepperdine University] overlooking the very ocean that would be affected by this terminal!”
Brosnan said he had spoken with Gov. Schwarzenegger about the project.
“Though he claims that the LNG terminal is a positive and rosy alternative to energy shortages, the governor must look into his heart and his conscience about this,” Brosnan said. “If we don’t speak out about this issue now, we might not be able to reverse the damage in 10 years’ time.”
Brosnan’s wife, Keely Shaye Smith, said she is alarmed at the prospect of the LNG terminal being ominously visible to coastal residents.
“I think this should definitely be an election issue,” she said.
Actress Halle Berry agreed. “If this project is allowed to slip through, there will be more and more of them off our shores. It is horrific and we must all speak out now.”
When asked why public outrage at the proposed terminal seemed to be muted up till this point, actor Dick Van Dyke, who is also a Malibu resident, said, “Well, there is a plethora of problems we face today and people have a short attention span. How can we get through to Schwarzenegger? I guess we don’t have the power that the lobbyists have, but public protest will help. Our ocean is sick already and we must speak up now.”
World-famous big wave surfer and ocean activist Laird Hamilton, who co-hosted the anti-LNG rally with Brosnan, spoke of the importance of reaching those who would approve the project. Noting the Oct. 30 deadline for the public comment period to the Environmental Protection Agency on the water discharge permit for the project, he urged, “Nothing speaks louder than your actions. With unity, we have power!”
Another world-class surfer and Malibu resident, Lisa Andersen, said, “Huge portions of our coastline, from San Diego to San Francisco, are at risk. There are so many aspects to the problem that people are not informed of the true environmental situation. I am here because I want to help spread the word of the danger.”
Actor and activist Ted Danson questioned the massive and untried nature of the proposed floating terminal. “This has just never been done before,” he said.
He spent some time with Coastal Advocate spokeswoman Jordan to determine the full scope of the project.
Jordan said, ” [BHP Billiton] has positioned this terminal as an Oxnard presence to avoid scrutiny. The fact is it will affect everyone on the coast and inland for miles.”
While LNG does burn cleaner than oil, she said, “The energy that goes into its extraction, refining and distribution negates any advantage.”
Jean Rountree, of the California Coastal Protection Network, said the pipeline leading from the terminal would run “right through Ormond Beach, endangering one of the last coastal wetlands areas still existing.”
After the speeches, approximately100 surfers and kayakers paddled out to the surf break, forming a circle.