Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) is insisting the U.S. Department of Transportation deny open-loop permits for liquefied natural gas terminals proposed by ConocoPhillips and Freeport-McMoRan in the Gulf of Mexico. Citing the LNG terminals’ locations in areas designated as essential fish habitat for a variety of species, CCA has expressed grave concerns about the effects produced by filtering million gallons of seawater a day through the terminals.

ConocoPhillips is currently seeking a permit for an open-loop system located 11 miles south of Dauphin Island, Alabama, while Freeport-McMoRan is planning to convert an existing offshore structure into an open-loop terminal 18 miles off Main Pass, near Venice, Louisiana.

"We are greatly concerned about the unknown impacts of open-loop systems on the entire marine ecosystem, from plankton to predators,” said CCA National President David Cummins. “These areas have been designated essential habitat for a variety of fish which could suffer a

substantial negative impact from an open-loop system.”

LNG facilities convert imported liquefied gas back into a gaseous state by circulating seawater through a radiator-like system to reheat it through either a closed-loop or open-loop system. Open-loop systems use a continuous stream of fresh seawater and filter millions of gallons of water per day in the regassification process, killing billions of fish eggs, larvae and plankton annually.

CCA has grown increasingly alarmed about cumulative damage to marine resources from a string of open-loop LNG terminals proposed for the Gulf of Mexico. CCA fought unsuccessfully for the federal government to force Shell Gas & Power LLC to use closed-loop technology for a terminal 38 miles off the coast of Cameron Parish in Louisiana. More open-loop terminals are planned all over the Gulf of Mexico, including the ConocoPhillips and Freeport-McMoRan terminals.

"We are taking a huge risk with our marine resources when there is a viable alternative in closed-loop systems,” said Fred Miller, chairman of the CCA National Government Relations Committee. “This is an excellent opportunity for these companies to demonstrate that they truly are responsible corporate citizens and err on the side of caution when it comes to the marine environment.”

In an encouraging development for conservationists, ExxonMobil recently announced that it was withdrawing its permit application for an open-loop facility off the coast of Louisiana. Additionally, Excelerate Energy LLC, owners of the only operational open-loop LNG terminal in U.S. waters, has stated that its Gulf facility, about 120 miles south of the Louisiana coast, would be economically competitive using either the closed- or open-loop system.

“Projects like these often have unforeseen and unintended consequences that could be difficult or impossible to reverse,” said Pat Murray, CCA National Director of Conservation. “There are alternatives to open-loop systems that do far less damage to the marine environment.”

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