The fight over the Bradwood Landing LNG project enters a new phase as all sides get ready for arguments before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
No court date has been set yet. But an important deadline just passed as some of the the groups suing to stop Bradwood filed legal briefs with the court. The documents give us some new insights into why they want the appeals court to just say “no” to Bradwood Landing.
The State of Oregon, and NOAA Fisheries, have joined the call for a new hearing on the Jordan Cove LNG terminal and the Pacific Connector gas pipeline.
Oregon’s decision is no surprise. Governor Kulongoski said he’d file a rehearing request a month ago when the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the licenses for the two projects.
But NOAA’s involvement? No so expected. And it raises questions about whether something fundamentally wrong with how LNG issues in Oregon are decided.
An LNG tanker at sea. Photo from www.lngoneworld.com.
UPDATE: LC 85 made it out of committee and has been introduced as SB 1020.
If you want to see how LNG issues divide and energize Oregonians, then take a look at two bills the legislature will consider next month.
One makes it easier to LNG companies to get some of the permits they need to build plants and pipelines. The other says, “Wait a minute! Shouldn’t we decide if these projects are really needed?”
If past fights are any indication of how strongly people feel about these issues, then things could get ugly.
UPDATE: LC 85 has been introduced to the special session as SB 1020.
The Hey! Northwest Natural campaign is raising the alarm about a bill that would make it easier for LNG pipelines to be built in Oregon.
According to the group, LC-85 allows pipeline companies and utilities to get permits to fill wetlands on private land, even if the landowners object. They’re calling this a shortcut in the permitting process, putting LNG pipelines on a faster track towards approval.
With at least three major LNG plants proposed for Oregon, one of the unanswered questions is, does the state really need them?
Supporters say, “yes”. They tell us that demand for natural gas in the state is growing and that adding more LNG plants will help keep down prices.
But opponents aren’t convinced. Once natural gas hits an interstate pipeline its impossible to know where it’s going. Oregon may end up suffering the environmental consequences of three new LNG plants and pipelines, while the gas they bring in could be piped to California and elsewhere.
That’s where House Bill 2015 comes in.
