Today’s decision to approve the Jordan Cove LNG project is an important step, but not the final word in the long running battle over LNG in Oregon.
Let’s start with the headline of the moment. This morning, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the Jordan Cove project, and the Pacific Connector Pipeline, on a 3-1 vote. The plant would be built on Coos Bay. The pipeline will transport the gas more than 230 miles to a connection with an interstate gas pipeline near Malin, Oregon.
Almost immediately, a coalition of environmental groups said they would appeal.
The big unanswered question for now, what will Oregon do? Tony Green with the Attorney General’s office says discussions are underway this morning with the Governor’s office on a possible appeal by the state.
A few clues to how the Governor might decide.
Kulongoski is already on record as opposing LNG in Oregon. The state is appealing another FERC decision to grant a license for the Bradwood Landing LNG project on the Columbia River near Astoria. Earlier this year, he wrote a harsh letter to FERC strongly criticizing the agency’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project. And before the project can be built, it has to obtain Clean Air and Clean Water permits from the state.
See: Governor K. Slams Feds Over Jordan Cove LNG Near Coos Bay.
But until a decision is announced, this is all speculative.
What is clear today is that several environmental groups will appeal the FERC ruling. Jody McCaffree of Citizens Against LNG says they expected FERC to approve the license. The agency has never denied one. “Their philosophy,” she says, “is to approve everything and let the market fight it out.”
The appeal will likely be based on environmental grounds. Like the Governor, McCaffree believes the EIS is badly flawed. Among her complaints, the EIS didn’t seriously study alternatives or even if the plant and pipeline are needed.
She says the agency didn’t fully considered how the plant will impact the local environment. McCaffree describes the environment of Coos Bay as “compromised, but functional.” She says building the LNG plant will push it “over the edge.”
The EIS may be on shaky legal ground for other reasons. Because the proposed pipeline goes through BLM land, the analysis is based on a Bush-era logging plan called the Western Oregon Plan Revision or WOPR. But now that the Obama Administration has withdrawn WOPR, McCaffree says the EIS should be redone. On top that, since the EIS was written the green sturgeon has been added to the Endangered Species list.
As far as McCaffree is concerned, it’s “waste of time” for the federal government to approve importing fossil fuels when it should be focused on domestic sources of renewable energy.
FACT SHEET:
The proposed Jordan Cove LNG import terminal would be built on about 200 acres of land on the North Spit of Coos Bay. It could handle about 80 LNG tankers a year, and store up to 320,000 cubic meters of gas in two large storage tanks.
The Pacific Connector Pipeline would carry the gas across Coos, Douglas and Jackson counties, plus partly into Klamath County. There it would be connected to the interstate gas pipeline system. The route crosses hundreds of streams and goes through old growth forests. One of the major partners of the pipeline is Pacific Gas and Electric of California.
[...] gas, lng A new liquefied natural gas project has federal approval. This from Dennis Newman at Natural Oregon: This morning, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the Jordan Cove project, and the [...]