GRN NEWS

Volume 9, Issue 1 March 2005

ALABAMA’S ENVIRONMENTAL Inside this issue:

AGENCY: A FOCUS FOR REFORM

Report confirms that 2
by Casi Callaway, Mobile Bay Watch, Inc./Mobile Baykeeper some coastal forests
cannot regenerate
Alabama currently ranks 50th in the nation in spending on matters of
environmental protection. Not surprisingly, the state was among the last in the Watershed activists 3
country to create an environmental protection agency, and it did so only at the focus on Citizens’
Agenda for Rivers
federal government’s behest. Even then the Alabama Department of
Environmental Management (ADEM) served as little more than a “one-stop” LNG: What it is, 4
permitting shop. ADEM’s lax enforcement of permits over the years and failure why it is threatening
the Gulf
to collect fines from known violators have made headlines and brought even
more negative attention to the state. Member Spotlight on 6
Louisiana Wildlife
In 2002, however, environmental organizations decided to join forces and bring Federation
positive change to ADEM. The ADEM Reform
Take Action: tell Shell 8
Coalition (ARC)—guided and supported by Mobile to protect our
Bay Watch, Inc/Mobile Baykeeper, Alabama Rivers fisheries
Alliance, Alabama Environmental Council, Alabama
African American Environmental Justice Action
Network, Cahaba River Society, and many others—
proposed a “Blueprint for ADEM Reform” that
focused on four major problems at ADEM: Special points of
leadership, enforcement, funding, and public interest:
participation. The Blueprint provides a constructive Former ADEM Director Jim Warr.
analysis and achievable set of recommendations that will help ADEM become ♦ Coastal wetland
an agency that fulfills its mission and that is accountable to the public it serves. forests will be lost if
harvesting continues in
The ARC has made great progress. Of the 22 changes proposed in the certain areas.
Blueprint, the ARC has achieved 25% and has a plan for bringing about the next
♦ Citizens’ Agenda for
25%. The most notable change is the replacement of ADEM’s long-time Rivers identifies three
director Jim Warr, whose unwillingness to work toward environmental main threats: eroding
protection has long been a source of contention between the ARC and state water quality,
leaders. ADEM’s board of directors terminated Warr’s tenure as director on insufficient water for
October 19, 2004. ADEM’s new director, Trey Glenn, must make certain that it river health, and urban
upholds its mission to “protect and improve the quality of Alabama’s sprawl.
environment and the health of all its citizens” if he hopes to gain the support of ♦ Twenty-two LNG
the environmental community in Alabama. facilities proposed for
the western Gulf.
Alabama is at a crossroads. Will the new ADEM director work for the people
of Alabama or will he allow environmental violations to continue unchecked? ♦ New GRN webpage:
The ARC will monitor Mr. Glenn’s progress and will work to ensure that www.healthygulf.org
Alabama remains a place its residents can be proud to call home.
 SWG REPORT: COASTAL FORESTS CANNOT
RECOVER FROM LOGGING
Louisiana’s swamp forests provide critical habitat
for many wildlife species and play an important role
in maintaining water quality and coastal integrity.
Sadly, they are threatened by a growing market for
cypress mulch.
In the past, these forests could
regenerate after logging. However,
a January 2005 draft report by the
Science Working Group on Coastal
Wetland Forest Conservation and
Use (SWG) confirms that the
hydrologic changes in Louisiana
have resulted in many areas where
regeneration is no longer possible.
Losing Louisiana’s coastal forests
would have significant
environmental repercussions.
They are home to six threatened or
endangered fish and wildlife A cypress tree in Mandalay National Wildlife Harvesting of permanently flooded
species. They are important to the Refuge, Louisiana.
migration of virtually all the eastern
landbird species in the U.S., as well as numerous
species from the western U.S. They also benefit
humans by providing flood storage, maintaining
water quality, and storing carbon, thereby slowing
the buildup of carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) in
the atmosphere.
Historically, Louisiana’s coastal wetland forests
were intimately connected to the Mississippi River
and its tributaries. However, the construction of
flood-protection levees has isolated south Louisiana recommendations will not: if harvesting in Class
from the river sediments, nutrients, and freshwater
that are critical to the long-term survival of coastal
wetland forests. Average water flows in coastal
wetland forests have been altered by oil and gas
development, flood control, navigation, road
construction and agricultural conversion.
The SWG has found that large areas are now
constantly flooded as a result of these changes.
Coastal forests are tolerant of flooding, but cypress
Page 2
seeds cannot germinate in standing water, and
seedlings cannot survive flooding that is above
foliage levels and lasts more than 45 days.
This does not mean that none of our
existing coastal wetland forests can
regenerate. The SWG scientists
have identified three “condition
classes” for the coastal wetland
forests:
Class I: Sites with Potential for
Natural Regeneration;
Class II: Sites with the Potential for
Artificial Regeneration Only
(through use of aggressive
reforestation techniques); and
Class III: Sites with No Potential
for either Natural or Artificial
Regeneration.
stands will eventually lead to major
changes in species composition of
coastal forests, lower productivity, and conversion
to marsh or open water. Aggressive artificial
regeneration could prevent some of these changes,
but it is impractical or impossible in most cases.
Over the next few months, the SWG will be
finalizing its report for presentation to the governor
of Louisiana. Although the findings and
recommendations of the draft report may be
modified, the meaning of those findings and
III wetland forests continues, large areas of
important coastal wetland forests will be lost.
The GRN is working with our Louisiana members
to stop this potential tragedy. We hope that you will
work with us to ensure that we do not lose these
important natural resources. You can start by not
using cypress mulch in your yard and asking your
neighbors to do the same. Stay tuned for action
alerts and updates on this critical issue.
MARCH 2005
 ENDORSE THE CITIZENS’ AGENDA FOR RIVERS
Our nation’s rivers and streams are at risk. Sprawl
is increasing non-point source pollution of our
waterways, increasing flooding, and depleting
groundwater supplies. Even worse, ill-conceived
government policies are undercutting the laws that
have protected our waterways for decades.
As citizens who value these resources, we need to
speak with a unified voice to ensure their
protection—nationally and locally! Weakened
protections in Washington, D.C. are making the
work of watershed activists everywhere more
difficult.
American Rivers has organized 12 river and
watershed groups into a Steering Committee with
the goal of developing a concise and focused
program to protect the health of our waterways.
The resulting Citizens’ Agenda for Rivers
highlights three major threats to our rivers: eroding
water quality, insufficient water for river health, and
urban sprawl. To address these threats, the
committee outlined the goals and strategies in the
box at right.
The Gulf Restoration Network has endorsed the
Citizens’ Agenda for Rivers and we encourage all
our member groups, friends and supporters to do the
same. By working together we can achieve healthy
rivers and healthy communities across the Gulf!
The Citizens’ Agenda Goals and Strategies:
1. Protect Water Quality
• Preserve riparian areas near streams and wetlands.
• Reduce the discharge of untreated sewage, and continue
to implement loading evaluations.
• Increase enforcement efforts and penalties.
2. Ensure Sufficient Water Supplies
• Encourage water conservation for farmers, businesses and
residents via education, new technologies and incentives.
• Encourage better long-term planning for water supplies
using monitoring, modeling, and build-out analyses to
ensure sufficient capacity.
• Restore natural flows using ecologically-based flow
standards in water criteria, permits, and reservoir releases.
3. Protect Watersheds from Sprawl
• Strengthen the requirements for environmental review of
proposed development to minimize impacts.
• Prioritize funding for transportation and infrastructure
projects that minimize damage to water resources and do
not promote sprawl.
• Provide funding to protect public source water including
headwaters, stream corridors, wetlands, critical habitat,
recharge areas, and recreational areas.
• Prioritize funding and incentives for low-impact
development and stormwater management that
incorporate water-smart principles.
Learn more about the Citizens’ Agenda online at
healthyrivers.org or call 1-877-4RIVERS.

THE GRN’S 10TH

ANNIVERSARY
FORUM AND PARTY
December 4, 2004
St. Petersburg, Florida
At left, Executive
Director Cynthia
Sarthou cuts the
anniversary cake. At
right, Director for Water
Resources Vicki Murillo
leads a “Clean Water
Toolbox” workshop.
Thank you to all who
attended!

Volume 9, Issue 1 Page 3

 LNG: AN INTRODUCTION
LNG: What is it?
When natural gas is cooled to a temperature of approximately -260 degrees Fahrenheit, it condenses to a
liquid called liquefied natural gas (LNG). This makes it easier to ship large volumes of natural gas to the
U.S. and other countries with large energy needs.

Recent advances in technology have reduced the costs of LNG production and distribution. As a result,
increasing natural gas supplies in the U.S. has become a central focus of the Bush administration’s energy
policy. Natural gas can be used for heating homes, generating electricity, or creating raw materials for
chemical manufacturing plants. Energy companies planning to construct new facilities in the Gulf must
receive permits from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) or the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG).

LNG: Why should we care?

Twenty-two LNG facilities are proposed for the western Gulf.
These terminals could have a huge impact on Gulf
fisheries, pose a safety threat to residents of the Gulf
region, and require the loss of coastal wetlands.

Once LNG has been shipped to the U.S., it must be warmed to

be “re-gasified” before it is delivered to our gas pipeline
infrastructure. LNG facilities use one of two systems for this
process:
1. An open rack vaporizer, or open-loop system, which runs
a constant flow of Gulf seawater through radiator-like GRN Fisheries Campaign Director Aaron Viles (3rd from left)
and reporters Mike Hasten and Amy Wold listen to NOAA
racks; or Fisheries SE Regional Director Roy Crabtree discuss the
2. A submerged combustion vaporizer, or closed-loop fisheries impacts of open-loop LNG terminals.
system, which uses the same water over and over.
Seven of the 22 facilities plan to use open-loop systems, even though each terminal could use up to 200
million gallons of Gulf water per day to “re-gasify” the natural gas. The drastic temperature change and
physical damage caused by the process will destroy fish eggs and larva by the billions. Currently, each
site is analyzed separately and there have been no studies of the cumulative impacts of all the LNG
facilities in the Gulf. Closed-loop systems, though more expensive to the gas companies, would be
significantly less destructive to our fisheries.

Open-loop LNG terminals are currently proposed in essential habitat for shrimp, redfish (red drum),
Spanish and king mackerel, red snapper, cobia, dolphin, blue fin tuna, and others. The energy industry is
important to the Gulf, but our commercial and recreational fishing industries are vital as well, generating
$800 million in commercial landings and $5.6 billion in recreational expenditures annually.

JOIN US IN APRIL FOR A SYMPOSIUM ON LNG!

SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 2005 IN NEW ORLEANS, LA.
Our goal is to bring together those who are campaigning against or concerned about the impacts of LNG
facilities. The LNG symposium will start with the opening plenary “Fish, Fires and FERC – is LNG meant
to be?” We will spend the rest of the day planning a coordinated strategy.
To apply for the symposium, contact Briana Kerstein at 504-525-1528 x208 or briana@healthygulf.org.
Page 4 MARCH 2005
 (Continued from page 4)
LNG terminals and transportation pose a significant safety risk to residents in the Gulf states. If a LNG
vessel was breached, it could result in a fire up to a mile across, producing severe burns up to two miles
away. LNG facilities are proposed near Corpus Christi, Galveston, Port Arthur, Pascagoula and Mobile, so
residents across the Gulf have reason to be concerned.

LNG facilities and pipelines could also have significant negative impacts to wetlands along the Gulf. Many
proposed onshore LNG facilities will require filling in wetlands to construct the terminals and pipelines and
dredging of waterways to accommodate the large LNG vessels. We cannot continue to allow new
development in fragile and important wetland habitats without fully considering cumulative impacts.

LNG: What can be done?

We must not jeopardize our fisheries or our citizens in a rush to develop LNG terminals. Terminals can be
constructed offshore to minimize safety risks and can use a closed-loop system to minimize the impacts to
our fisheries. While 22 facilities are proposed or approved for the Gulf, economists believe that only 4 or 5
facilities can be supported by current projections for natural gas demands. FERC and the USCG must
require these facilities to be constructed offshore and to use the closed-loop system.

Some progress on this issue is already being seen. As reported in the Galveston County Daily News, BP
has decided against the use of an open-loop system at its proposed Pelican Island terminal outside
Galveston. “A vital factor was the conclusion that use of open rack and seawater are not a good fit for the
particular environmental conditions of Galveston Bay,” said Bob Boyce, director of BP Bay Crossing.
While Exxon-Mobil is still proposing to use an open-loop system for its Pearl Crossing facility off the coast
of Louisiana, it has agreed to use the closed-loop system for its Vista del Sol and Golden Pass facilities.

Two facilities that will use the open-loop system have already been approved in the Gulf of Mexico. We
must act now to ensure additional facilities are built offshore using the closed-loop system. A first step is to
require the USCG and FERC to complete a cumulative environmental impact analysis of all proposed LNG
facilities using the open loop system. To get involved in your area, contact Briana Kerstein, the GRN
Outreach Coordinator, at 504-525-1528, ext. 208, or briana@healthygulf.org.

Existing:
D.
Approved:
Lake Charles, LA: Southern Union – Trunkline
Proposed, Approved, and Existing
1. Lake Charles, LA: Southern Union – Trunkline
2.
5.
Hackberry, LA: Sempra Energy
Freeport, TX: Cheniere/Freeport LNG LNG Terminals in the Gulf
6. Sabine, LA: Cheniere LNG
8. Port Pelican, offshore: Chevron Texaco
9. Energy Bridge, offshore: El Paso
50. Altamira, Mexico: Shell/Total/Mitsui
Proposed:
12. Corpus Christi, TX: Cheniere
13. Corpus Christi, TX: ExxonMobil
14. Sabine, TX: Exxonmobil
17. Corpus Christi, TX: Ingleside
19. Port Arthur, TX: Sempra
22. Pascagoula, MS: Gulf LNG
24. Gulf Landing, offshore: Shell
26. Main Pass, offshore: McMoRan
27. Compass Port, offshore: ConocoPhillips
28. Pearl Crossing, offshore: ExxonMobil
29. Beacon Port, offshore: ConocoPhillips
36. Galveston, TX: BP switched to non-open loop
37. Port Lavaca, TX: Calhoun LNG
39. Pascagoula, MS: Chevron Texaco
40. Cameron, LA: Creole Trail
42. Freeport, TX: Cheniere/Freeport – Expansion

Open loop systems in bold

Volume 9, Issue 1 Page 5

 Louisiana Wildlife Founded in 1994, the Gulf
Restoration Network is a section
Federation 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
committed to uniting and
The Louisiana Wildlife Federation (LWF) empowering people to protect
is a leading organization of sportsmen and and restore the resources of the
conservationists with over 30 state and Gulf Region for future
local affiliated clubs and 13,000 members. generations.
The goals of the LWF are to conserve the natural resources of
Board of Directors
Louisiana, with particular emphasis on fish and wildlife and their
habitats, to protect the rights of Louisiana citizens to enjoy these Casi Callaway
resources in accordance with sound, scientifically established Mobile Bay Watch/Mobile Baykeeper
resource management principles, and to accomplish this primarily Mobile, AL
through education and advocacy. Mark Davis—Chair
Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana
The LWF was incorporated in 1940 and had a pioneering role in the Baton Rouge, LA
establishment of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission in Robert Hastings
1952. Another major LWF achievement was the initiation and Alabama Natural Heritage Program
Montgomery, AL
successful adoption of a 1987 constitutional amendment to dedicate
the Conservation Fund for fish and wildlife management purposes. Rose Johnson—Vice-Chair
More recently, it has aggressively pursued the dedication of offshore Concerned Citizens Coalition
Gulfport, MS
mineral revenues for the restoration of Louisiana's rapidly eroding
coastline and for wildlife conservation funding. Joe Murphy
Sierra Club
Tampa, FL
Louisiana Wildlife Federation, Inc.
P.O. Box 65239, Audubon Station Juan Parras
TSU Law Clinic
Baton Rouge, LA 70896-5239 Houston, TX
Phone/Fax: 225-344-6707
Bob Schaeffer
E-mail: lwf@lawildlifefed.org; Public Policy Communications
Web: http://www.lawildlifefed.org Sanibel, FL
Page Williams
VISIT US AT HEALTHYGULF.ORG Sierra Club—Lone Star Chapter
Houston, TX
Robert Wiygul—Acting Secretary/
We’ve changed our website URL! The new address, Treasurer
www.healthygulf.org, contains all the resources of the old website in Waltzer and Associates
addition to some new features. Biloxi, MS

Our Hot Issues section will update you on

Staff
critical Gulf issues more frequently. Our Action Cynthia Sarthou: Executive Director
Alert section will enable you to read archived Amy Gill: Director of Operations
alerts as well as past issues of “GulfWaves,” the Vicki Murillo: Director for Water
bi-weekly digest of announcements and alerts Resources
sent in by member groups and friends. You can Briana Kerstein: Outreach Coordinator
Aaron Viles: Fisheries Campaign
also sign up to receive our action alerts and Director
GulfWaves in your e-mail inbox. Marianne Cufone: Fisheries
Consultant
Check back often—more changes will be coming soon!

Page 6 MARCH 2005

 Network Notebook: New literature and reports that GRN members might find useful
The following are new documents available from the National Service Center for Environmental Publications,
P.O. Box 42419, Cincinnati, OH 45242, 1-800-490-9198, or online at
http://www.epa.gov/ncepihom/index.htm:
• Fact Sheet: Protecting Drinking Water Sources (EPA#816F04032)
• Understanding the Safe Drinking Water Act (EPA#816F04030)
• Water Facts (EPA#816F04036)

National Coastal Condition Report II. EPA issued this report in January 2005. It is the second in a series of
environmental assessments of U.S. coastal waters and the Great Lakes and includes assessments of 100 percent of the
nation’s estuaries in the contiguous 48 states and Puerto Rico. Access the report online at
http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/nccr/2005/downloads.html or call 1-800-490-9198 and request EPA publication
#620/R-03/002.

Citizens’ Agenda for Rivers. The Citizens' Agenda for Rivers is a plan for healthy rivers and healthy communities
created by and for the river movement. It includes information on policy solutions to priority threats to our rivers.
Access the report online at http://www.amrivers.org/doc_repository/CAR/CitizensAgendaEasternVersion.pdf.

Calendar of Events
MARCH 2005 2 LNG Symposium. Hosted by the GRN and
the Sierra Club. New Orleans, LA. For more
7-10 Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management
information, visit www.healthygulf.org. To
Council Meeting. Birmingham, AL. For a
apply for the symposium, contact Briana
complete agenda, visit www.gulfcouncil.org.
Kerstein at 504-525-1528, ext. 208.
18-20 Alabama Rivers Alliance Watershed
Leadership Conference. Camp McDowell, MAY 2005
Nauvoo, AL. For more information, contact 9-11 14th International Conference on Aquatic
ARA at 205-322-6395 or visit Invasive Species. Wyndham Casa Marine
www.alabamarivers.org. Resort, Key West, FL. For more information,
visit www.fleppc.org.
20-23 Ninth International Symposium on
Biogeochemistry of Wetlands. Baton 20-24 River Network’s National River Rally
Rouge, LA. For more information, contact 2005. Keystone, CO. For more information,
Robert R. Twilley, 225-578-8806 or 225- call 208-853-1920 or visit
578-6431. http://www.rivernetwork.org/rally/.

24-26 Managing Our Nation’s Fisheries II.
Omni-Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C.
For more information, visit
www.managingfisheries.org
APRIL 2005
1-2 Environment 2005: Law, Science, and the JUNE 2005
Public Interest. 10th Annual Tulane Envi-
ronmental Conference. New Orleans, LA.
Register at www.law.tulane.edu/enlaw or call
504-862-8827 for more information.
Volume 9, Issue 1
27-30 15th Annual Heartwood Forest Council.
Camp Yocona Boy Scout Camp, between
Tupelo and Oxford, MS. For details call 662-
236-1456 or email wdmounger@yahoo.com
or ann@watervalley.com.
4-5 Seaspace 2005. SCUBA diving and
adventure travel expo. Houston, TX.
Visit www.seaspace.org or call 713-467-
6675.
Page 7
 United for a Healthy Gulf

P.O. Box 2245

New Orleans, LA 70176
Phone: (504) 525-1528
Fax: (504) 525-0833
Website: www.healthygulf.org

The GRN would like to thank the following foundations for

making this newsletter, as well as the work of the GRN,
possible: The Belvedere Fund, The Ben and Jerry’s
Foundation, The Booth-Bricker Foundation, The Charles
Stewart Mott Foundation, The Elizabeth Ordway Dunn
Foundation, The Holloman Price Foundation, The Joe W &
Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation, The McKnight
Foundation, the Regional Marine Conservation Project, and
The RosaMary Foundation.

TAKE ACTION NOW:

TELL SHELL TO PROTECT OUR FISHERIES!
If Shell’s Gulf Landing LNG facility uses an open-
loop system, it could have a serious negative impact
on red drum in the Gulf (as much as the equivalent
of 3.8% of Louisiana’s annual landings). The red
drum fishery has been
closed to all fishing in
Photo courtesy of: www.ferc.gov
economically viable facilities without using the
open loop system. For more information on this
issue, turn to page 4 of this newsletter.
Take Action Now! The
only environmentally

federal waters and to sustainable option for LNG

commercial fishing in facilities is a closed loop
state waters for many system. Write a letter to
years due to concerns A.Y. Noojin III, President
about overfishing—we and CEO of Shell U.S. Gas
cannot allow Gulf and Power, at:
Landing to be given a 1301 McKinney, Suite 700
free pass when our fishermen are denied the Houston, TX 77010
same access! E-mail: aynoojin@shellgp.com
Fax: (713) 230-1750
Shell has claimed that using a closed-loop system is
cost-prohibitive. However, BP recently agreed to Tell Shell to protect our fisheries – NO OPEN
use a closed-loop system for its proposed Pelican LOOP IN THE GULF! A sample letter is available
Island facility. Clearly, companies can build at healthygulf.org.