Corpus Christi residents march against the proposed Las Brisas Energy Center.
The Las Brisas Energy Center was a proposal for an alternative to the current energy system of Corpus Christi. The Las Brisas energy center was expected to build a “1,320 gross megawatt electric-generating facility to be located on the north side of Port Corpus Christi’s Inner Harbor.”
Map of Las Brisas
The developers of the Las Brisas Plant stated that the plant would offer a “reliable base load power,” which would create “competitive pricing and overall consumer savings.” Later, however, it was discovered that the plant would not benefit the public as it was said to. It would in fact be harmful to environment and to human health.
Petroleum Coke
In the early designs of the plant in May of 2008, the Las Brisas Energy Center of Corpus Christi filed for an air permit to allow the use of Petroleum Coke (“petcoke”) at the factory. The use of petroleum coke sparked much negative attention towards the Las Brisas project.
Although, the factory filed for the permit in 2008, it was not until 2011 that Las Brisas received their license to use petroleum coke. Countless individuals opposed the use of pet coke due to its harmful effects on the environment, as seen in Chicago, where one resident living near a petcoke plant testified that citizens “have been petitioning the government for years to do something about the piles, which they say blanket their neighborhood with noxious dust on windy days.”
If the plant went through, Corpus Christi residents would likely experience the same effects as those in Chicago. Since Corpus Christi receives a generous breeze from the bay front, this “noxious dust” would undoubtedly plague the coast, and blow into the waters. Moreover, Illinois’ pollution board had formerly raised concerns about “tiny particles — smaller than 2.5 microns — that can travel deeply into lungs, causing a host of health problems.”
It should come as no surprise that many health care professionals opposed the burning of petroleum coke in these refineries. Petroleum coke would cause asthma rates to increase substantially, and people’s lungs would not be able to function properly due to the polluted air. Citizens also feared that the factory would “emit large amounts of Mercury, Lead, Sulfur Dioxide, and Soot, which would damage the health of people living in the Corpus Christi area.” Criticism grew larger after the discovery that “Las Brisas’ experts failed to show the plant does not violate clean air laws.”
Clean Economy Coalition Members Protests Against Las Brisas
There were many activists who attempted to put a stop the construction of the Las Brisas Energy center. Among these activists were the Clean Economy Coalition, the Sierra Club, and Environmental Integrity Project.
The Clean Economy Coalition began to notify the community of Corpus Christi of the negative consequences of the project. They attempted to gather as many people as possible to speak against the project. The Sierra Club and the Clean Economy Coalition wrote letters to Judge Yelenosky, exclaiming that the agency did not meet the requirements that were set by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
“The project would have increased pollution in Corpus Christi by 70%, a figure that [Professor Klein] and others in the Clean Economy Coalition found unacceptable.” In May of 2012, Professor Jim Klein, a member of the Clean Economy Coalition, told the Caller Times, “We intend to continue fighting against Las Brisas to make sure it is not built.”
Professor Klein, chairman of the Clean Economy Coalition
Judge Stephen Yelenosk
Sierra Club
In an interview with Professor Klein, he confirmed that he was in favor of the jobs the Las Brisas Project promised to bring. When the permit was still in the works of being approved, many local businesses favored the idea that the plant could possibly bring more jobs to the area and a variety of people thought that it had the possibility of being a “clean-burning energy” source.
Professor Klein said that “The Las Brisas Energy Center folks said that it would produce 82 permanent jobs,” but “CEO Kathleen Smith stated that the 82 jobs would include custodial and secretarial positions – not terribly high-paying job.”
In the end, the Las Brisas Energy Center was not built. All of the factors that activists and environmentalist pointed out played a huge role in the final decision of the construction of the plant. The plant not being built impacted individuals positively, because they would not be exposed to the harmful emissions in the air due to the petroleum coke.
This video shows how petcoke is negatively affecting the city of Chicago:
More photos from the Las Brisas campaign:
Protest March Against Las Brisas.
Sources
[1] Cardenas, PATRICIA. “Air Permit for “Las Brisas Energy Center” Project.” N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
[2] Malan, Denise. “TCEQ Approves Las Brisas Air Permit.” Corpus Christi Caller Times. N.p., 26 Jan. 2011. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. .
[3] TRESAUGUE, MATTHEW. “Texas Officials Grant License to Corpus Christi Power Plant.” Houston Chronicle. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.
[4] Spruill, Rick. “Las Brisas Hearing Addresses Issues with Proposed Petroleum Coke-fueled Electricity Plant.” Corpus Christi Caller Times. N.p., 8 May 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2014.
[5] Las Brisas Power Plant Is Gone With the Wind.” Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. .
[6] Spruill, Rick. “Las Brisas Project Slowed but Not Sidetracked by Lawsuit, Board Member Says.” Corpus Christi Caller Times. N.p., 16 May 2012. Web. 13 Apr. 2014..
[7] Spruill, Rick. “Environmentalists Challenge Las Brisas Air Permit in Court.” Corpus Christi Caller Times. N.p., 10 May 2011. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. .
[8] Malan, Denise. “TCEQ Approves Las Brisas Air Permit.” Corpus Christi Caller Times. N.p., 26 Jan. 2011. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. .
[9] Spruill, Rick. “Las Brisas Hearing Addresses Issues with Proposed Petroleum Coke-fueled Electricity Plant.” Corpus Christi Caller Times. N.p., 8 May 2012. Web. 13 Apr. 2014.
[10]”James Klein Assistant Professor of History Department of Social SciencesDel Mar College.” Social Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.
[11]”The Green Life: Ideas for Living Well and Doing Good from Sierra Magazine.” The Green Life: Ideas for Living Well and Doing Good from Sierra Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.
[12] Leleuz, Robert. “Something in the Air.” August 4,2009.
[13]”Las Brisas Energy Center.” Las Brisas Energy Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.
[15]”Petroleum Coke.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Mar. 2014. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.
South Texas Rabble Rousers History Project 
Leave a comment