Activists celebrate victory in fight against proposed power plant on beach in Oxnard

Activists had reason to celebrate at Oxnard Beach Park on Thursday.

They won a four-year battle to prevent another power plant along the coast.
“Not one more power plant in Oxnard!” was their rally cry.

Instead of having pristine beaches, activists said Oxnard became home to outdated fossil-fuel power plants. OxnardI beaches are also home to a Superfund site created by Halaco, a bankrupt and abandoned metal recycling plant, next to natural wetland habitats.

Environmentalists said Oxnard has more coastal power plants than any other city in California.

The Public Utilities Commission sided with residents, including teens, who spoke out at public meetings after the Oxnard City Council unanimously voted against NRG’s plan.
The arm of NRG that operated two coastal plants filed for bankruptcy, but still owns the land.

The outdated plants used to need ocean water for cooling and were already slated to be shut down by 2020.

Teens called it a social justice issue that allowed corporations to use their beaches as a dumping grounds.

The same groups of activists were joined by Malibu residents and celebrities when they won a fight against a proposed liquid natural gas terminal off the coast between the two communities.

The city of Oxnard, CAUSE and the California Environmental Justice Alliance hope to find funds to take down the old plants and return the beaches to the community.