LNG pipeline protesters at a December 2009 rally in Portland.
Although this is listed on my events story of the day, it’s worth a new mention. Oregon DEQ is holding a public meeting tonight in Astoria about the Bradwood Landing LNG project.
Also, I’ve learned a little bit more about the Wyden-Merkley LNG bill.
But first, the big meeting tonight. Oregon DEQ plays an important role in determining if the Bradwood Landing LNG project can be built. It has to review permits for Clean Air, Clean Water, among other things. It has to work with NOAA Fisheries to see if the project will do too much damage to endangered salmon in the Columbia River.
As Dan Serres with Columbia Riverkeeper puts it, “DEQ can stop this project and protect Oregon.” Serres expects the meeting to draw quite a crowd, perhaps 100 people or more.
Reps from DEQ will be explaining to people how the permitting process works, how long it will take, and when it expects to hold more formal hearings. But expect some enthusiastic advice from the crowd on how DEQ should decide this issue.
Wyden-Merkley LNG Bill
In yesterday’s post I raised the question that if the Wyden-Merkley LNG bill passes, will it force Bradwood Landing and the Jordan Cove LNG projects to start all over?
Tom Towslee, with Wyden’s staff in Portland says the answer to that is – no. Bradwood and Jordan Cove have already been approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Towslee says, “You can’t unring that bell.”
Wyden and Merkley are trying to take away FERC’s authority to approve LNG projects, and return that power to state authorities.
Even if the bill doesn’t pass, Oregon still has considerable power over LNG. As noted earlier in this story, any LNG project has to get several permits from the state.
