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.
If you’re looking for a “ground zero” in the battles over LNG in Oregon, the area near Gales Creek in Washington County may be it.
The people who live here face the possibility of not one – but two – natural gas pipelines crossing their farms, vineyards, forests and streams.
Staffers from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission spent two days this week touring the area and meeting with landowners. The official purpose was see the impacts of the proposed Oregon Pipeline. This is a 117-mile project that would carry imported natural gas across Clatsop, Washington, Yamhill and Marion counties, plus a small section of Clackamas County.
But it was that other pipeline, the Palomar pipeline, that also weighed on the minds of residents. In this area of the state the two pipelines don’t just come close to each other, but in some places cross paths. Landowners asked if the paths could be combined. FERC officials could only say they would look at the matter.
In the brief time I spent on the tour other issues came up, too. Among them: safety, access to their land, losing the right to develop the land in the future, harm to endangered and threatened species, and the impact on climate change. While federal and state officials consider what to do about the Oregon and Palomar pipelines, the landowners are stuck in a kind legal limbo.
See links to more information below the video.
For More Information:
Columbia Riverkeeper: One of the leaders to stop all LNG projects in Oregon.
Hey! NW Natural: A social media campaign to stop the Palomar Pipeline.
Oregon LNG: The company that wants to build the Oregon Pipeline and an LNG plant near Astoria.
Palomar Gas: Developers of the Palomar pipeline.
Bradwood Landing: The Columbia River LNG plant that would feed gas into the Palomar project.
Save Money On New Light Bulbs
Energy Trust of Oregon is sponsoring state-wide discounts on compact fluorescent light bulbs. No coupon necessary. Retailers across the state are dropping prices. For a complete list of where to get the discount, see this story from the Salem Statesman Journal.
Maybe The Dam Should Stay
Some in Jackson County think tearing down the Gold Ray Dam is a bad idea. A candidate for county commissioner says a repaired dam could provide revenue for the county by producing electricity. From the Medford Mail Tribune.
29 Years Later And It’s Still A Mess
The Army Corps of Engineers starts work this month on removing a million cubic yards of silt from the Cowlitz River. The silt comes from Mt. St. Helens, the result of the “clear cut” explosion from about 29-years ago. The Corps continues to work on a long range silt control plan. From the Longview Daily News.
MONDAY’S STORIES
Did LNG Company Get A “Too Good To Be True” Deal For Land?
LNG opponents are raising questions about a land deal struck between the Port Of Astoria and Oregon LNG. The company is leasing 92 acres of land from the Port for about $38,000 a year. Critics say it should be a lot higher. From the Daily Astorian.
Proposed Wind Farm May Be Doomed By Endangered Bird
Plans to build the first wind farm in Western Washington are running into trouble. The site in Pacific County, called Radar Ridge, is on the flight path of the marbled murrelet. The murrelet lives mostly on the ocean, but nests in coastal forests. From the Longview Daily News.
What We Lose If The Dam Goes
Salmon counts on the Rogue River are considered some of the best in the region. That’s because biologists can count live salmon as they pass through the Gold Ray Dam. But Jackson County wants to remove the dam, perhaps as soon as next year. When that happens, officials will have to rely on counting methods that are not as accurate nor up-to-date. Still, they don’t mind. From the Medford Mail Tribune.
Thinking About Sewers
Coburg is one of the largest towns in Oregon without a sewer system. City officials say that’s limiting Coburg’s ability to grow and threatens the water supply. But building a sewer system would cost about $25 million and residents are in an uproar. From The Eugene Register Guard.
