Gulf Restoration Network

United for a Healthy Gulf

Tell the Department of Energy to Stop the Salt Dome Madness!

Since 2006, the Department of Energy has been moving forward with plans to hollow out a series of salt domes near Richton, MS in order to expand the nation's petroleum reserves. This plan, which would cost $4 billion dollars of taxpayer money, involves removing 50 million gallons of water a day from the Pascagoula River and then using this water to dissolve natural salt deposits in the domes. The polluted, extremely salty byproduct would then be dumped off the coast of Mississippi's barrier islands.

Some of the impacts of this project include:

     • Harm to commercial and recreational fisheries of the Pascagoula River and Gulf of Mexico.
     • Destruction or modification of over 1,500 acres of wetlands.
     • An estimated 75 spills of hyper-salty water and 18 oil spills.

By sending this letter to the new leadership at the Department of Energy, you can help put a halt to this salt dome madness and preserve the Pascagoula River for future generations.

Please make your message as powerful as possible and take a moment to personalize the first few lines of the suggested letter.

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July 30, 2010

Subject:

Dear Secretary Chu,

I am writing to express my serious opposition to the US Department of Energy’s plan to construct a series of salt caverns to store oil in Richton, MS as part of an effort to expand the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR).  This project would not only have substantial environmental impacts, but would also represent a significant waste of taxpayer money at a time when the nation needs to be spending money to move away from oil dependence and toward clean energy.

The proposed project is a poor choice for a number of reasons:  It is estimated to cost $4 billion, a price tag that will likely only continue to grow.  The Richton site would require at least 330 miles of pipeline, increasing the likelihood of oil or brine spills into the environment.  This project would also be the first time that DOE has ever relied upon an inland freshwater source to mine the salt, an experimental proposal that worries many scientists familiar with the variable water flows of the Pascagoula River.

Moving forward with the Richton salt domes project would squander taxpayer dollars, reduce water flows in the Pascagoula River, and further build-up oil infrastructure at a time when global climate change -- largely induced by the use of fossil fuels -- is poised to cause significant impacts throughout the country.  In recent public statements, you have expressed a desire that “the American people…wake up” to the serious threats of global climate change.  Halting this harmful and expensive project is a great way for the Department of Energy to begin shifting away from yesterday’s problems and start addressing the daunting issues of tomorrow.

The Department of Energy is already planning to expand the SPR by 113 million barrels by expanding the Bayou Choctaw and Big Hill sites.  Given that the SPR has never been filled even to its existing capacity, I believe that the two expansions are more than enough.  The DOE should cancel the Richton project due to the cost, environmental impacts, and fact that the money could be better spent on alternatives.

Sincerely,

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