"Lovely grand tours to Australia is also no mystery"

Not worth the price

The proposed importation of liquefied natural gas by an Australian firm, BHP Billiton, to a giant floating platform 12 nautical miles off of our coast, between Oxnard and Malibu, is a cause for concern.
When Howard Smith, in his July 6 letter, "LNG stance distorted," calls Larry Godwin "clueless" because Godwin points out in his July 3 letter, "LNG's OK, but salts aren't?" that the enormous amount of air pollution created by the Billiton offshore operation will flow into the Oxnard Plain and beyond on the prevailing afternoon winds, Smith is taking aim at the wrong target. Though, like Smith, I would like to believe the Billiton revised environmental impact report, which indicates that the pollution created by its operation would blow out to sea.


When Mati Waiya, in his July 2 commentary, "LNG as interim energy source," testifies to how nice and responsible this company is, I would like to believe that, too. And when Hank Lacayo implies that this operation will benefit the needy, the downtrodden, the senior citizens, I surely want this to be true.
But, the winds do blow onshore in the afternoon and we are also subject to Santa Ana conditions. Los Angeles smog drifts to Riverside. Oxnard's smog will drift to Camarillo, the Santa Clarita Valley and wherever.
As for BHP's wonderful reputation, Waiya should know that BHP, the largest mining firm in the world, is the defendant in a case regarding negligent endangerment in a tragic mining accident in New Guinea; has a bad record of exploiting workers in South Africa; and been under investigation in Australia. Two years ago, the fraudulent letters from here supporting BHP and received by the State Lands Commission also revealed questionable, shady doings.
A few senior citizens bused by BHP to appear in support of its project at a public hearing last month before the California Public Utilities Commission observed to some members of the audience that they received a very nice bus ride and would be taken to dinner, both windfalls provided by BHP Billiton. It's no mystery as to why BHP bought pizza this year for the Boys & Girls Club of Oxnard and offered to treat the likes of me and my neighbors to brunch at the Tower Club. The motivation for paying for California leaders to take lovely grand tours to Australia is also no mystery. Sleazy tactics also blow on shore.
Everyone wishes for an easy solution to the energy problem. BHP Billiton does not have it, nor can it save us from sacrifices, such as giving up our SUVs, recreational vehicles and recreational trips. An even worse answer is to forgo a relatively healthy ocean and clean air to continue the self-destructive reliance on fossil fuel.
— Mary D. Dodd lives in Oxnard.