An environmental activist is raising alarms about a proposed liquefied natural gas facility on Pelican Island, citing risks from methane leakage and potential vapor cloud explosions, according to Houston Public Media. The Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees approved a lease and development agreement on Oct. 8 with Power LNG for a $250 million plant capable of generating roughly 400,000 gallons of liquefied natural gas daily, mainly to power cruise ships entering and leaving the area. The facility would occupy 30 acres on the eastern portion of an 82-acre port-owned parcel along the deep-water Galveston Harbor.
Joanie Steinhaus, who serves as ocean program director with Turtle Island Restoration Network, voiced worries about methane releases from the project. "If you are working with a project that releases methane and the methane leaks and there's also methane from the unburned ships and the engines, the methane slips. It's not cleaner air," Steinhaus said. She also pointed to a 2022 vapor cloud explosion at a Freeport LNG facility, which resulted in excess emissions of carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and volatile organic compounds. According to a case study by IFO Group, that explosion occurred when methane contacted open and damaged electrical conduits and circuitry. Steinhaus questioned what safety perimeters the Pelican Island facility will establish, noting its proximity to Texas A&M University at Galveston and the community across the harbor.
Port director and CEO Rodger Rees presented a sharply different perspective, stating the project will generate jobs and improve air quality. "This agreement paves the way for the Port of Galveston to play a leading role in providing cleaner marine fuels to the region," Rees said in an Oct. 8 news release. He argued that liquefied natural gas reduces sulfur oxide, nitrous oxide, and particulate matter by more than 90 percent, and noted that port officials are working to provide electricity for docked ships so engines won't need to run while in port. Rees said in a May 27 release that he believes constructing a small-scale LNG facility on Pelican Island would attract "newer, environmentally beneficial ships" to the Port of Galveston. Production at the Power LNG facility is expected to start near the close of 2028 after required approvals and agreements are completed.
The fundamental tension centers on whether liquefied natural gas represents a cleaner alternative to traditional marine fuels or simply a different source of pollution. Steinhaus acknowledged that LNG might burn cleaner than other fuels but said it remains connected to health problems. "I hope people will investigate and understand that they don't clean the air; they're adding pollution, it's still harming our health, and it's still harming our environment," Steinhaus said. She plans to attend the Galveston Wharves board meeting on Oct. 27, when discussion about the Power LNG facility is on the agenda. Texas A&M University at Galveston, located on the same island, did not respond to a request for comment about concerns related to the facility's proximity. The project now moves forward with a lease in hand, leaving the debate over environmental trade-offs unresolved as construction timelines approach.