Venoco is the corporation that currently owns Platform Grace, the proposed site for the Crystal Energy LNG project. Venoco is responsible for collecting its own data and providing emissions reports. Unfortunately, they do not have a very good history of being responsible about it. In October of 2003, the company paid a $10,000 fine to settle air pollution violations in the Beverly Hills area. Venoco was also one of the corporations sued by Erin Brockovich and her boss, Ed Masry, on behalf of hundreds of residents who say they became ill from toxic fumes emitted by the same site. State and local authorities repeatedly cited the Venoco Corporation for releases of deadly hydrogen sulfide gas at its Goleta platform in 1998-99.
Crystal Energy is leasing the Platform from Venoco, although they have been publicly criticized for late payments due to a lack of financial backing. The company with ownership rights has a history of environmental violations and the leasing company may not have the funding for the project… could it get any worse? It absolutely does!
The site itself has numerous recorded safety and environmental violations. In 1992 Platform Grace incurred over $8 million in fines for 65 violations of the Clean Water Act. The facility was also cited for illegal discharges from the oil- and gas-production platform. In 1994, more than $1 million was paid for infractions involving a safety valve that did not meet Minerals Management Service requirements for at least a three-month period. In 1997, Grace was closed.
Venoco is not responsible enough to report hazards; Crystal Energy cannot afford them, yet Grace is bound to have them. Is the Crystal Energy project really a good idea for our community?
Bob Hattoy
Former Sierra Club Regional director,
Member California Fish and Game Commission