GREAT BALLS OF FIRE:

The truth is always in the middle – at least according to the
revised draft Environment Impact Report for the offshore liquid
natural gas (LNG) facility proposed near Oxnard. The
document – released by the California State Lands Commission last
week – predicted a worst-case scenario accident could result in a
massive “vapor cloud of fire” that could travel as many as
seven-and-one-half miles, leaving it six miles from shore. When the
plan was proposed about three years ago, it was believed that a
potential fireball would extend no more than one mile. Opponents
have long included the destructive fireball possibility on an
extensive laundry list of potential environmental impacts of the
LNG facility, including air pollution. But BHP Billiton – the
masterminds of the Cabrillo Port project – maintain the facility
can be run safely and efficiently. The $500 million project is one
of five LNG facilities proposed for the California coast; despite
being heavily opposed by the Cities of Oxnard and Malibu, it has
made the most headway in the approval process.