OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Despite overwhelming odds as we push back against the industry’s powerful lobbyists and their supportive elected officials, Better Brazoria has had a number of impressive accomplishments, thanks to the selfless volunteers who protected their families and neighbors from the polluters.
We stopped construction of the huge Sea Port Oil Terminal (SPOT) for five years and counting, including with a federal lawsuit. The project would ram two giant pipelines right through the middle of the popular resort at Surfside Beach, sending 2,000,000 barrels of oil a day to an Export Terminal in the Gulf, loading a supertanker a day with oil for Europe, not lowering our gas prices. As a Surfside councilmember said, “What could go wrong?” Residents do not want to find out. So we keep fighting.
For 5 years we stopped construction of the twin sister project to SPOT, called GulfLink, through the rural community of Jones Creek to load another supertanker for Europe. The federal government just approved construction. The danger to residents and the Gulf Coast is real, just like Deepwater Horizon was. We must make sure they obey all pollution rules.
We commissioned a 2023 study of the property tax breaks being given to 14 rich petrochemical companies by poor local communities for the promise of new jobs. The bamboozled village leaders gave away $2.2 BILLION in owed property taxes! That’s $1.9 million per job! We continue to publicize this outrage, and lobby municipalities to stop the giveaways.
We also mobilized to halt the reopening of Freeport LNG (liquid natural gas, or methane) after a horrific explosion in 2022 until they fixed all the safety measures needed to prevent another disaster. The explosion happened across the channel from Surfside Beach, where thousands of tourists were enjoying the day.
Along with other environmentalists, we convinced Chubb Insurance in New York to require higher safety standards of Freeport LNG ships and plants before issuing new policies.
ADDITIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
- Planning committee for the largest environmental protest demonstration in American history – the Summer of Heat in New York City, 2024. Protests included marches, speeches, meetings with banks and insurance companies, and rallies throughout the city.
- Partnered with national Sierra Club in filing suit in federal court to stop the SPOT pipeline / export terminal project.
- Worked with Japanese press and environmental leaders to oppose JERA funding of Freeport LNG exports.
- Testified at U.S. Maritime Administration hearings in Washington, D.C. against approval of the SPOT and GulfLink pipeline projects.
- Organized protest by Jones Creek village Council and residents against approval of the GulfLink pipeline project, including Council testimony and public training in effective ways to express opposition.
- Led public campaign to protest treatment by the Port of Freeport of the Freeport East End and Quintana minority communities, which is being displaced by Port expansion.
- Worked with the Port Sustainability Committee to adopt a new Clean Port Plan, and helped secure a $1.4 million grant from the Texas Department of Transportation to initiate the Plan.
- Planned and directed Better Brazoria participation in 5 community-based event each year, including a Better Brazoria Bash summer picnic event that attracts over 800 people. All events include educational components on environmental dangers, including programs for children.
- Planned and led dozens of public and legislative outreach campaigns on environmental issues, primarily oil, gas, and LNG regulations in coastal Texas area. Campaigns included Gulf Coast Summer of Heat in NYC, Permian Basin Gulf Coast Coalition, Global Week of Action in NYC, and Lobby Days in Washington, D.C., among many others.
- Executive Director testified at Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on Methane Rule proposal, 2024.
- Executive Director was...
Speaker at United Nations Climate COP28 in Dubai rally, then met with U.S. Senators Markey and Whitehouse on climate change issues, 2023.
Speaker at ING bank AGM conference in Amsterdam, and met with 4 ING bank executives on the risks of LNG, 2024.
Speaker at CERA Week environmental rally in Houston on climate change and LNG, 2024.
Speaker at PRPC National Pipeline Conference in Atlanta, 2024.
Speaker at the TSU Thurgood Marshall School of Law, address on carbon capture to audience of environmental attorneys, 2024.
Speaker at press briefing on LNG dangers in NYC, 2024.
Speaker and U.S. delegate at the European LNG Strategy Conference, Berlin 2024.
Speaker and U.S. delegate at the European LNG Strategy Conference, Rotterdam 2025.