Lawsuit Anticipated in Dispute Over Air Quality Standards at Cabrillo Port
Industry insiders speculate that BHP Billiton may face a legal challenge involving its Cabrillo Port LNG project and the Clean Air Act if the Coast Guard ultimately authorizes the facility. Critics charge that the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard are not enforcing the CAA and Deepwater Port Act, which require LNG developers to meet local districts’ state implementation plans (SIPs) to satisfy federal ozone standards. In an April 13 letter to the USCG, attorneys from the Environmental Defense Center said, “A full accounting and review of the Cabrillo Port Project emissions will demonstrate that the project does not conform to the SIPs for Ventura and Los Angeles counties.” The EPA said that the project would not be subjected to those measures because its offshore location falls outside the confines of the Ventura County air district. BHP BIlliton recently announced plans to implement measures designed to reduce the amount of air pollution potentially caused by the terminal. Read more in today’s edition of Inside Cal/EPA. [Subscription required]