As a Malibu resident and a local elected official, I feel that it is critical to protect the best interest and wellbeing of my constituents’ community. Acting on this notion, it is essential that I help to educate every one of my neighbors about the proposal to place a LNG facility in waters just north of Malibu on an old oil platform, Grace. Not too long ago, Crystal Energy, based in Texas, proposed to turn platform Grace into a liquid natural gas receiving terminal. At face value this may not seem all that terrible. However, it is.
Platform Grace is a very old platform in oil standards, over 25 years old and has not been used since 1995. Crystal Energy is planning to suddenly overhaul this entire facility and turn it into an LNG receiving terminal in addition to a fish farm while maintaining its status as a drilling rig.
This proposal is both wrong and dangerous and does not belong anywhere near Malibu. Crystal Energy may try to fool you by claiming this proposal is safe, but it is not. The platform is just too old to be used anymore. LNG is certainly an important energy source that we all use. However, we need to make sure that every possible step be taken to find the most environmentally safe and responsible way to transport it into the U.S. I encourage Crystal Energy to retire their plans and put this platform to good use. Sink it and let it be a natural reef.
Andy Stern, mayor pro tem
City of Malibu