In September, LNG Opponents Send Powerful Message and Call on Governor Brown to Reject LNG in Oregon
This September, hundreds of Oregon and Washington residents pressed local, state, and federal
officials to deny Oregon LNG. Despite an unresolved property dispute with the Army Corps of Engineers, Oregon LNG has been pushing to gain approvals for a massive liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal and high-pressure pipeline. Calling on ten years of experience, Oregon and Washington residents pushed back and called on Governor Brown to stand up for Oregon against Oregon LNG and fracked gas exports.
FERC Gets an Earful as Focus Shifts to Governor Brown’s Role in LNG Decision.
On September 21 in Astoria, over 150 people from all over Oregon and Washington attended a hearing by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and they used the public hearing to make a clear call on Governor Brown to reject LNG, regardless of FERC’s ultimate decision. On the following night, over 50 people attended a similar hearing in Vernonia, Oregon where the route of the pipeline would cut through the City’s drinking water supply. In Astoria, State Rep. Debbie Boone called on FERC to deny Oregon LNG, and in Vernonia, Mayor Randy Parrow presented the City’s resolution against the project and questioned the pipeline’s impact on the City’s drinking water supply.
During a rally before the hearing, and during six hours of public testimony, farmers, fishermen, teachers, nurses, business owners, elected officials, and climate activists made the same basic argument: Oregon must dismiss FERC’s analysis and make its own decision to reject Oregon LNG because it threatens the Columbia River and the communities that depend on it. The group also voiced its solidarity with opponents of the Jordan Cove LNG terminal in Coos Bay. The Daily Astorian quoted Laurie Caplan, who told FERC, “You call this a public hearing, but we know FERC isn’t listening," Caplan said, questioning the agency’s neutrality. "Gov. Brown, are you listening?’” To read The Daily Astorian’s story, click here.
Astoria and Warrenton Take Up LNG Issue
Remarkably, the FERC hearing was preceded by a two-day hearing in Warrenton that focused on whether the proposed LNG terminal complies with local land use laws. In room packed beyond its capacity, local residents and allies from Corvallis, Portland, Puget Island, and throughout the region urged the City of Warrenton to reject Oregon LNG’s land use application. The hearing process is ongoing, but oral testimony provided a platform for local Warrenton residents to raise their concerns, which they did en masse. Forrest Duggan, a local crabber, told the Hearings Officer, “the 500 yard security zone would directly interfere with our family’s financial stability…We cannot gamble with our future.” His statement, along with dozens of others, painted a clear picture for why the Oregon LNG project conflicts with the City’s land use laws and protections of local fishing, hunting, and public safety.
In the midst of Warrenton’s review, the City of Astoria took its own action on LNG. After learning that the City would be the location of much of the construction staging for the LNG terminal and pipeline, and after hearing from hundreds of local residents concerned about public safety and healthy salmon runs, the City voted to pass a resolution opposing the Oregon LNG project. The resolution calls on Governor Brown as well as local, state, and federal agencies to deny Oregon LNG.
In September, we demonstrated a durable, growing consensus that LNG is wrong for our Columbia River, our climate, and future generations. The question remains: “Governor Brown, are you listening?”
TAKE ACTION TODAY:
- Call Governor Brown. 503-378-4582. Tell her to reject LNG in Oregon. For more guidance on who to call and what to say, see our calling tip sheet.
- Sign on to our letter to Governor Brown.
- Tell your friends to take action. Sample social media post to share:Tell Governor Brown to stand up for Oregon and say "No to LNG!" Sign this petition today: bit.ly/saynotoLNG
Watch this video from the FERC Hearing regarding Oregon LNG in Astoria, Oregon on September 21, 2015:
[youtube]https://youtu.be/eIDi-S8LiPI[/youtube]
