“I’m most proud of the care we’ve taken to ensure that marine life and native vegetation are totally and vigorously protected.”
Dimas Hernandez, Terminal Manager, Energia Costa Azul
There’s not much about the operations at the Energía Costa Azul receipt terminal that Dimas Hernandez does not touch in some way. As terminal manager, he has a broad range of operational responsibilities. And yet the careful protection of the native environment around the facility has always been one of his top priorities in the development of the project.
“Right from the beginning of this project, we were guided by an extreme sensitivity to the environment. Before breaking ground on construction, we worked with Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History to prepare for the possibility that items of archeological significance might be uncovered. And indeed, during the course of our work, we discovered ancient bones, seashells and tools — all of which were carefully excavated by the Institute and taken to a location where they could be safely preserved and studied.
In conjunction with the Mexican environmental agency, SEMARNAT, we identified the native plants on more than 70 acres of land surrounding the construction site and mapped their exact locations. These plants included the
Ferocactus viridescens, a species under special conservation status in Costa Azul, and the
Agave shawii, which is found only along the Pacific coast of Baja California.
We carefully transplanted each and every plant and its surrounding ecosystem — 5,000 in all — to a special nursery created to simulate the exact environment
they lived in. During construction, we’ve not only protected these plants, but also propagated the species. When the LNG terminal is completed, we will re-plant the native vegetation in the exact location it was taken from and identify special conservation zones to protect the continued growth of its habitats. Not
only that, we have implemented educational programs in local schools to teach children the importance of appreciating and preserving these native plants.
We also were extremely diligent in our approach to minimizing the impact of
the project on marine life — both plants and animals. The action we took to protect affected sea life is probably the best example of this, and one of the
most important achievements in the entire program. Before construction started, we moved about 700,000 sea urchins, sea cucumbers and sea snails out
of the construction area to adjacent sea banks, where they are continuing to
live and reproduce. We also created a program to teach the local fishing community how to harvest the sea urchins in a more responsible manner that
protects and propagates the species over time.
The Energía Costa Azul terminal represents a long-term commitment to active environmental stewardship. We have implemented a comprehensive environmental protection program that encompasses the local earth and marine ecosystems. Additionally, as part of normal facility operations, we continually remind our employees of the important role we play in protecting the environment.
We take our environmental stewardship very seriously. Yes, we are bringing a new, clean source of critically needed energy to the region. But more importantly, we are doing it in a responsible way that will preserve the local habitat for my grandchildren and their children, well into the future.”
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