LNG Protesters at a rally outside Portland City Hall. Photo by Dennis Newman.
At the final round of FERC LNG Hearings in Oregon, we heard again from landowners frustrated with a system they see as secretive, intimidating, and stacked against them.
We also heard from officials with Oregon LNG and their contractors who were at times apologetic, but mostly defended how they’ve conducted themselves.
Oregon LNG wants FERC permission to build an LNG import terminal near Warrenton on the Columbia River, and a 120-mile long pipeline to deliver the gas to the interstate pipeline system near Molalla.
That means crossing Clatsop, Tillamook, Washington, Yamhill, Marion and Clackamas counties – home to forests, vineyards, wineries and the prized farmland of the Willamette Valley.
Kathleen Carl of Salem is one of the landowners with property along the proposed route of the pipeline.
She told the FERC about meetings she attended where people were asking questions, but not getting answers. She says she was never told about a visit by FERC officials in September of 2009. And during another visit three months later, she says FERC staff wouldn’t even tell her what properties along the pipeline route they were going to visit.
“It’s this feeling of not knowing what’s going on,” she said, “that the federal government and energy companies are on the same side.”
Richard Hanschu of Forest Grove agreed. He said his biggest complaint is, “the total lack of information.” Hanschu said he’s never received notices from FERC or from Oregon LNG about public meetings on the project.
One incident in particular has taken on a mythological like status at this hearings. I don’t mean to imply it’s untrue, but rather that it’s become a powerful symbol to landowners about what’s wrong with this process.
The GPS Incident
In December of 2009, FERC and Oregon LNG officials visited several properties along the proposed pipeline. Some of the landowners gave their permission under the condition that the officials could not record GPS data. Why not? Many landowners fear the company will use those kind of details to retaliate against them if they don’t cooperate.
At the Anne Berblinger farm in Washington County, a contractor for Oregon LNG recorded GPS data on the location of a well. Jay Lorenz of the engineering firm CH2M Hill testified he took the data because he thought the location of the well was important. Asked if he had seen the letter prohibiting that, Lorenz replied he did, but said wasn’t sure if the letter was, “legally binding”.
FERC Judge Bobbie McCartney had Lorenz read out loud from the letter and then asked, “What part of that was confusing too you?”
“I clearly made a mistake,” said Lorenz. “To this day I feel humble and sorry. I feel like I’m the cause of these hearings.”
In her testimony on Monday, Berblinger talked about the incident saying, “It shows lack of respect that Oregon LNG has for the legitimate rights of property owners.”
The Final Witness
The last person to speak was Oregon LNG CEO Peter Hansen. Several landowners accuse Hansen of trying to intimidate them, promising them favorable treatment if they cooperate and hinting that things might be worse for them if they don’t.
I missed some of Hansen’s testimony to attend today’s anti-LNG rally. (See video at the end of the story.) But I spoke briefly with him afterwards.
He admits to being gruff and direct, but says he does so as a sign of respect, that people deserve straight answers. “It’s possible it backfired,” he said, “I’m sorry if it did.”
He told me he’s just trying to convince landowners that by granting the company access to their land, it helps them identify problems areas and how to avoid them. “We are engineers, problem solvers. But we can only solve problems that we know about.”
Video: Anti-LNG Rally In Portland
