More and more of our Valley communities are in immediate danger from invasive oil and natural gas companies, companies that threaten our health, safety, and local economies.
Our best hope is the election of new Port of Brownsville Commissioners who take our valley wide health, safety, and local economies into consideration while growing the Port as a valley wide and state wide resource.
The filing deadline for three Port Commissioner positions is Feb 19. The vote is May 7. For information and the required forms, call Deborah Duke, (956) 831-4592.
Centurion Terminals has not been honest with Channels 4 and 5 about the number of trains it will be running through Raymondville, Harlingen, San Benito, and Olmito to the Port.
Centurion told them one train a week. But its website says 160,000 barrels of condensate per day, which will mean two trains a day, around 120 rail tanker cars each. Each full of highly flammable condensate.
Explosive oil trains could follow the highly flammable condensate trains to the port. Why? Because the Port has started expanding its oil export capacities.
In addition, the Port continues to ignore strong local opposition to Annova, Texas, and Rio Grande LNG. Laguna Vista, Port Isabel, South Padre Island, and Long Island Village have all passed resolutions against LNG. The condensate, oil, and LNG operations will also encourage the fracking of northern Mexico’s Burgos Basin area around Reynosa – threatening the health of all who live in the area (McAllen etc).
There is still time to stop or at least limit all the dangers the Port is bringing our way. Demand that the Port and Centurion hold public forums in Harlingen and Brownsville now, before the trains start rolling. Demand that the Port and LNG companies hold a public forum in Port Isabel now, before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission makes any decision about any of them. Run for Port Commissioner. Visit saveRGVfromLNG on Facebook. Join us and with each other. Now.
John Young San Benito
