Energy

Fishing and conservation groups want the Washington Department of Ecology to loosen up some regulations and allow more water to be spilled over dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers. If the timing is done right, spilling more water over dams helps young salmon migrate down river to the ocean. Conservationists compare it to the...
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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.
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Bradwood Landing LNG Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality heads to Astoria this evening for a public meeting on the Bradwood Landing LNG project. Could be interesting. DEQ is reviewing Clean Air, Clean Water and other permits that Bradwood needs before it can be built. It will explain that process at the meeting. A recent letter from...
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It’s no surprise that Brett VandenHeuvel of Columbia Riverkeeper is pleased with the new Wyden-Merkley bill that would return decision making over LNG projects back to the states. Columbia Riverkeeper is one of the main groups opposing two proposed LNG projects near Astoria – Bradwood Landing and Oregon LNG. It’s also involved in efforts to...
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Oregon’s two Senators are joining forces on a bill that could bring LNG projects in our state to a grinding halt. Wyden and Merkley want to take away control over LNG projects from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). They’ve introduced a bill that would return that power to the states. Whether or not Wyden and...
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Showing it knows how to read a judge’s memo, NOAA says it will spend the next three months reworking the Obama plan for salmon and steelhead in the Columbia Basin. Friday’s announcement was a response to federal district court Judge Redden, who strongly suggested this action nearly two weeks ago.
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That mysterious HB 3703 comes up before the House Rules Committee again this afternoon. This is the latest version of the bisphenol A ban, the one the Senate voted down earlier this week. But rather than accepting defeat, supporters found a new home for it before the Rules Committee. It’s been sitting on the agenda...
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Judging by the love fest inside the Capitol Rotunda this morning, it’s hard to imagine that the Klamath water wars ever existed. The room was filled with smiles, applause and some humor courtesy of Governor Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger joked it was finally time to say, “Hasta la vista to the dams.” The crowd ate it up.
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The environment community’s first victory of the special session is almost complete. Today the Senate voted to approve HB 3613, a ten-year ban on offshore oil and gas drilling in Oregon’s territorial sea. The bill now goes to Governor Kulongoski for his signature. Brock Howell of Environment Oregon says that the Governor’s staff testified in favor...
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