The Oxnard City Council voted to approve a moratorium on plans for a new natural gas plant in the city. Council members were concerned that the plant was to be built only 500 yards away from the ocean given the threat rising sea levels poses to facilities near the ocrean.
The plant was originally proposed to replace an older plant that uses sea water for cooling. The older plant became obsolete as a result of a recent California law that requires the retirement of plants the use sea water in their cooling process. The law looks to protect California’s marine ecosystem by preventing the amount of contaminated sea water.
The council unanimously voted to implement a 45-day moratorium on the development of the power plant, which can be extended up to two years if the council approves the extension. In addition to rising sea levels, council members are also concerned with tidal flooding and storm surges affected the brand new facility.
City officials are looking to update Oxnard’s outdated, 30-year-old coastal plan during the moratorium in order to better understand what challenges the facility might face.
Read more about the moratorium here.