Wednesday is the deadline for filing new complaints.
An LNG protest sign from December's field trip in Washington County.
Oregon LNG wants the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to drop plans for a series of public meetings in Northwest Oregon. The purpose of the meetings was to hear complaints about how Oregon LNG employees and contractors conducted themselves during a December site visit with landowners along a proposed pipeline route.
In a filing submitted last week, Oregon LNG asks Commissioners not only to cancel the public meetings, but also to stop a FERC Administrative Law Judge from writing up a fact finding report about the complaints.
The company asks FERC to issue a ruling by Wednesday, or at least put the hearings on hold while the agency considers the request.
The filing gives very little information on why Oregon LNG wants to stop the public meetings. Here’s the quote from the document.
“A prompt ruling is sought to prevent detriment to the public interest, which the Commission is bound to protect, and which can only be served, through an open and transparent proceeding, and denial of due process to Oregon LNG and Oregon Pipeline.”
-Oregon LNG filing dated February 5, 2010
(NOTE: I’ve got a call into Oregon LNG for more information.)
Oregon LNG wants to develop an LNG import terminal along the Columbia River near Warrenton, and a 117 mile natural gas pipeline running across Clatsop, Washington, Yamhill and Marion counties and into part of Clackamas County.
It was a little more than two weeks ago when FERC took the unusual step of saying it would hold a series of town hall meetings to listen to landowners and representatives of Oregon LNG talk about what happened during the two-day field trip in early December. FERC staff and Oregon LNG representatives toured several properties along the proposed pipeline route.
See: We Hear You Loud And Clear: FERC Will Look Into Complaints About Oregon LNG
Not long afterwards, the landowners began to complain about what happened on the visit. Some claim that Oregon LNG broke agreements that allowed them on the property by collecting GPS data. Other said that maps and documents about the pipeline route underwent major changes, but they didn’t know about them until after the tour. They say that deprived them the opportunity to discuss the changes with FERC and the company.
By the way, tomorrow is also the deadline for the public to submit new comments to the Administrative Law Judge Bobbie McCartney who was expected to lead the meetings. Here are some instructions from the Judge on how to file.
- E-mail two copies of the complaints, one to McCartney at Bobbie.McCartney@ferc.gov, and the other going to her law clerk, Meghan Gruebner, at Meghan.Gruebner@ferc.gov.
- Sending the comments in the form of an affidavit “would be particularly helpful.”
- Word documents are preferred, but PDF and Excel files are acceptable.
- Comments won’t be shared with other parties if they’re clearly marked, “Confidential”.
