LNG Victory: The Backstory

This Victory Gives Hope

By Brett VandenHeuvel, Executive Director

I’ve traveled the length of the Columbia, and the big river just feels different near Astoria. Wilder. Transcendent, as the narrow confines open to meet the Pacific. The energy of this place inoculates its people with a fierce love of the river, and all she stands for. This force radiated when big corporations targeted the lower Columbia with several liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals over a decade ago.

On April 15, 2016, the people of the estuary prevailed over the last remaining LNG terminal proposal—called Oregon LNG. The gas giants were supposed to win. They carefully selected a small town, greased the skids, and hired all the right law firms and lobbyists. Nobody warned them about the people’s fierce love of the river and how hard they would fight to protect it. Twelve years of smart, creative, and persistent effort by local residents and partners defeated LNG and protected the mighty Columbia.

A Condensed History

  • Perhaps someone will write a book about this community standing up to the giant gas company. Until then, here’s the up-tempo version (with apologies to Beat Poets).
  • California rejected an LNG import project by Calpine. Calpine moved north. Quietly.
  • Port of Astoria lease, 2004. Peter Gearin. Sweetheart deal. People oppose LNG, creatively. Rivervision. Building the movement.
  • Calpine goes bankrupt, hedge fund creates Oregon LNG. Fracking boom. Plans switch to exporting gas.
  • Statewide opposition forms. Farmers, foresters, fishermen. Astoria is the heart of the effort. Brilliant testimony. Spirit of the River—art, dance, music.
  • Clatsop County Commissioners vote 5-0 to approve LNG in 2010. Recalls. Elections. New Commissioners vote 5-0 to deny LNG. Democracy! Oregon LNG says “no fair,” files Writ of Mandamus. We all google Writ of Mandamus.
  • Feds rule that exporting LNG is good for America, approve Oregon LNG export.
  • Huge rallies—Salem, Portland, Astoria. After 12 years, incredibly, the movement grows. Smart, strategic action. Columbia Pacific Common Sense. “Governor Brown, turn it down.”
  • Then, one Friday in April, the company said: “The Oregon LNG Project today announced it is ceasing operations immediately.” And this: “Oregon LNG will have no further comment.” Spontaneous celebration. Sighs of relief, deep joy.

National Significance

The stories of local opposition to LNG—from Warrenton, Astoria, Puget Island, Vernonia, and Forest Grove to name a few—are legion. The public hearings were endless. And the courts always had an LNG case or two. The fate of LNG was decided locally, as major decisions should be. But we should not forget the national significance. The victory reverberated across our nation. I received dozens of calls from reporters, climate leaders, and elected officials throughout the United States. Oregon LNG was the last best hope for exporting fracked gas from the west coast. All eyes were watching.

Why? The victory prevents the shipment of 1.2 billion cubic feet per day of fracked natural gas to Asia. That’s twice as much gas as the entire state of Oregon uses each day: a stunning volume of carbon, which would drive more fracking across the west. We are moving aggressively toward renewable energy: new infrastructure to support fracking and burning of natural gas takes us in the wrong direction.

The victory also protected critical salmon habitat. Oregon LNG planned to dredge a huge hole in the Columbia River for LNG tankers—the largest dredging by a private company in the history of the Columbia River, over 700,000 cubic feet across 135 acres. The victory prevented a giant industrial scar and militarized zone in the Columbia River estuary, one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

On a personal note, I filed my first lawsuit against Oregon LNG. It’s not quite like my first child, but nostalgic nonetheless. I lost, but from that time forward, the wins greatly outnumbered the losses as we created hurdle after hurdle that Oregon LNG could not clear.

A model, a Hope
Unfortunately, the Columbia River is also threatened by the nation’s largest coal and oil terminals in Longview and Vancouver, as well as the nation’s largest gas-to-methanol refinery in Kalama. People are sharing the success over LNG as a model of how to protect their communities. This model includes strong organizing, coalition building, and integrated legal work. In addition to tactics, the victory proves that people can stand up to protect what they love. This is the lesson and the inspiration we point to when the challenges are daunting. This victory empowers. This victory gives hope.


How Did I End Up Here?

By Cheryl Johnson, Retired School Librarian, Co-Leader Columbia Pacific Common Sense

Cheryl Johnson and Ted Messing
Ted Messing and Cheryl Johnson.

"Oh no, I'm working full time, have family responsibilities and am already doing volunteer work in the community.  I can't get involved in THAT!" This was my response in spring of 2005 when Sue Skinner called asking if I would take the lead in opposing the LNG terminal proposed upriver at Bradwood. She and Tom Duncan were organizing the opposition for the down river proposal at Skipanon peninsula.

Things changed, soon enough. I was inspired by the women of Warrenton when I attended my first public meeting. Rose Priven and Sally Smith brought a drawing comparing the size of LNG tanks to the Astoria Column. The drawing was bigger than themselves and they needed help holding it up. They were small and not young but they gave 'em hell at that early meeting! All of the work we have done was accomplished standing on the shoulders of the wonderful people who were among the first to speak out in our community.

The first no LNG rally that I helped organize was motivated by the open house sponsored by Bradwood Landing on the beautiful river front property they proposed for their LNG terminal. I wrote my first ever Press Release after consulting long distance with my sister, a TV news professional. I was shocked when one of the Portland TV stations sent a reporter and camera person to Bradwood Clifton to cover it! We arranged to have them interview third generation Columbia River Gillnetter, Jack Marincovich, in front of the original net shed in Clifton. To this day it remains my favorite of all the TV coverage we have received. We were novices—but our passion was powerful!

My husband Ted and I were inspired to get and stay involved by our love of the Columbia River and our respect for the role salmon play in our local economy, culture and history. We live within walking distance of the Columbia River and our children were raised swimming in the river and picnicking on the islands. I thought, I will give this two years of my best effort—surely it will be over in two years, so I could tell my future grandchildren, I did everything I could to protect the river for them.

In the early years there were four proposals for LNG terminals on the Columbia River. Grassroots community organizations came together on both sides of the river. I realized after a few years that the deep, rich friendships with like minded folks from Puget Island and beyond would outlast the noLNG fight, no matter what the fossil fuel industry did.

The first public hearing was in the gymnasium at Knappa High School. We wanted the carpetbaggers to know that even folks who were not comfortable speaking into a microphone, were against the project.  We came up with the idea of filling the room with Red Shirts! Ted gave his first ever public testimony to federal agencies and closed with, "Our River is Not for Sale!" He received a spontaneous standing ovation. We had no way of knowing we would need to testify nearly 100 times in the coming decade.

People asked—how can you continue to do this work that seems depressing some of the time and overwhelming most the time? The laughter and the friendships we have shared along the way are the glue that holds us all together and sustained us to carry on.

They have money and we have heart. And in the end HEART always wins!