LNG Update: Fisheries Agency Asks for Withdrawal of Oregon LNG Proposal

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is asking tough questions about the proposed Oregon LNG terminal and pipeline. Years ago, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) asked NMFS to determine how Oregon LNG’s terminal and pipeline would impact Columbia River salmon. In a recent letter, NMFS concluded that Oregon LNG and FERC have not submitted a clear, detailed proposal, and NMFS asked FERC to withdraw its request for a review of the project.

In recent months Oregon LNG has promoted the idea of exporting LNG from Oregon. Yet, Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) informed the company that its proposed terminal on state-owned land is limited to LNG imports, only. More recently, in a letter to FERC, NMFS stated that a “specific and stable” proposed project is fundamentally necessary before NMFS can determine whether the Oregon LNG terminal and pipeline would harm federally protected salmon.

In short, at least one federal agency is realizing what we have known for a long time: Oregon LNG is a dead-end project, and taxpayer funds are being wasted in reviewing Oregon LNG’s pipeline and terminal scheme.

In February, Riverkeeper submitted our own letter to Oregon LNG’s investors, New York-based Leucadia National Corporation. In our letter, we provided our outlook for Oregon LNG’s future. We noted that, in its annual report at the end of 2010, Leucadia reported about its Oregon LNG project, “we’ve opened our wallet to fund this venture for another year, within which timeframe we hope to cross the finish line. Tune in next year.”

Over a year later, as the first quarter of 2012 comes to a close, Oregon LNG has been voted down by the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners, and the project has made no significant progress towards necessary state or federal approvals. Additionally, Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) recently informed Oregon LNG that, according to the current terms of its lease in Warrenton, Oregon LNG is not allowed to export LNG.

Our progress – and Oregon LNG’s lack of progress - is a direct result of your calls, your emails, your creative energy, and your attendance at hearings and meetings. As setbacks mount for Oregon LNG, we will continue to ask for your input and effort in order to ensure that the Columbia River and Oregon remain LNG-free. Most importantly, Riverkeeper is continuing to fight a legal battle with Oregon LNG over its pipeline proposal in Clatsop County. The case is currently pending in the State Court of Appeals.

For More Information, Please Contact: Dan Serres (503) 890-2441 dan@columbiariverkeeper.org