In an interview with the Guardian in Santo Domingo last week, Project Director of AES Ocean LNG Ltd, Aaron Samson said that the Bahamas Environment, Science and Technology Commission, which is presently reviewing the company’s Environmental Impact Assessment, has been “pushing” Applied Energy Services (AES) Corporation to change the design of its pipeline to use warm air to warm the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) instead of seawater as it would have a lesser impact on the marine environment.
But AES is “far” from changing its plans in this regard because of the added expense, he said.
“It (warm air) is more expensive capital, some $2 to 4 million dollars more, but there are operational benefits. Chemicals cost money, maintenance costs money, so over the life-cycle of the project, it (sea water) looks like it’s OK and neutral, so there is no reason not to (use seawater). Technically, it (warm air) is more money up front, but over a lifetime, it (sea water) is OK,” he said.
According to Mr. Samson, in addition to wanting AES to change its pipeline design to use warm air, BEST was also concerned about the destruction of marine life. He admitted that during the construction phase of the project, whatever larvae or species contained in the seawater and species of fish, would have a mortality rate of 100 per cent. He added however, that because the ocean is so “big,” this 100 per cent impact during the first few months of construction would be “microscopic.”
“But there is an impact, and yesterday at Eco Electrica, they talked about a chlorine or another bacterial agent to stop things growing inside your piping system and very small concentrations of this go back into the ocean,” he said.
Eco Electrica is an LNG and power plant that was also toured by the government and the press in Ponce De Leon, Puerto Rico.
Mr. Samson further pointed out that during the construction period of the gas pipeline, AES would dig a two-foot trench in the sand, install the pipeline and would be done. The largest environmental impact, he reiterated, is the short term impactduring the construction phase for installing the pipe.
“Once that pipe is in the ground, there are really no effects ever again,” he said, adding that the installation process spans 3 to 4 months.
Overall, Mr. Samson said, BEST is doing an “extremely professional” review with the assistance of ICF (BEST consultants). He said that in comparison to all of its gas pipeline projects, the impact to Ocean Cay would be the least.
He also refuted the question of published reports by Greenpeace environmentalists, who claimed that they have found AES in violation of environmental regulations worldwide, including illegal dumping of caustic waste in Connecticut’s Thames River and refusal to alert the state of California to a toxic spill produced in 1989.
Mr. Samson said the statement taken from the Greenpeace article was a “hack job”, and the environmental organization brands anybody who burns anything as a “bad guy”.
“Because we have coal plants in the world and we have oil plants and natural gas, we are bad guys. We have a tremendous environmental record. Our world-wide average emissions are lower than the United States power plants, so we have a tremendous environmental safety and social responsibility. It (Greenpeace) is not fair, it is not accurate and I will give you a full written response,” he said.
On the other hand, Minister of Health and Environment, Dr. Marcus Bethel, who was also in Santo Domingo at the time, said that any development in The Bahamas would have an impact on the environment. He said that even though economic development is a fact of life and a necessity in developing nations, he would need to ensure that economic development is harmonious with sustainable environmental development.
“In other words, we cannot do anything but protect the general pristine nature of The Bahamas for future generations of Bahamians, (and) at the same time recognize that development may have some impact on the environment,” he said, adding that his main role, in regard to the AES proposal, is to ensure that if it is approved, their development would have minimal environmental impact.
Dr. Bethel further stated that the AES project, because of its magnitude, would require some impact on the local environment of Ocean Cay, hence one has to determine the mitigating plans to minimize any adverse impact on the environment.
“It is always a give-and-take. As long as the mitigating plans and the monitoring and supervisory roles are in place, then a balance has to be determined as it relates to the environment,” he said, adding that he too awaits the detailed analysis that is being carried out by the BEST Commission.
“When this is ready, then we will be in the position to determine the extent of any environmental impact, what the mitigating plans are, and then this is balanced with the economic benefits that would be derived by The Bahamas. If the economic benefits outweigh any environmental impact, then that is the kind of analysis that the Cabinet would have to make a determination on whether to approve or not to approve such a project,” he said.
AES Corp wants to invest $650 million at Ocean Cay to construct, own and operate a 64- kilometer pipeline that would be constructed of steel pipe and installed on the sea floor. The Ocean Express pipeline would receive natural gas from the Ocean Cay pipeline and deliver gas to South Florida.
The project has been developed to include an LNG terminal import terminal and facilities that include: A liquefied petroleum gas removal plant, a seawater desalination plant, an undersea pipeline to supply potable water from Ocean Cay to North Bimini, as well as Ocean Cay employee- housing and associated facilities on South Bimini, and an undersea natural gas supply pipeline to the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone boundary.
The Ocean Cay pipeline is expected to interconnect at the EEZ boundary with an undersea natural gas pipeline, extending to delivery points in Broward County, Florida. If given government approval, AES wants to begin construction in late 2003 and is anticipating start-up by 2006.
By Tamara McKenzie, The Nassau Guardian
