noLNG

New Co-Chair for Wahkiakum Friends of the River

George Exum has agreed to accept the position of Co-chair for Wahkiakum Friends of the River. He is filling the position vacated by Terry Kriesel who is returning to his home in Arizona for the winter. George has been in the maritime industry for over thirty-five years. He currently performs international safety management audits, vibration analysis on engine room machinery, and infrared analysis on electrical equipment for merchant ships worldwide. His knowledge of ship safety and maritime regulations is invaluable. George and his wife Carol Carver are long-time residents of Puget Island, Washington, and both are active in a number of community organizations.

Terry Kriesel has spent countless hours as co-chair of Wahkiakum Friends of the River. His energy and enthusiasm as co-chair will be greatly missed, and we look forward to his return next spring. He will continue to be involved with Wahkiakum Friends of the River while in Arizona. Judy Bright will continue as co-chair.

Wahkiakum County Fair

  Many visitors stopped by the  Wahkiakum Friends of the River booth at the Wahkiakum County Fair Thursday August 25- Sunday August 28, 2005. Members of Wahkiakum Friends of the River were able to inform community members about the potential hazards of a LNG facility along the Columbia River.       

LNG on the Columbia bad for economy

Studies of the proposed Providence Rhode Island LNG facility at Weaver Cove also makes solid arguments for why LNG tankers and facilities on the Columbia River is fundamentally a bad idea.

The article by the Boston Globe, entitled Studies: LNG tanker transits would affect economy, hurt traffic document how the huge (900' +) tankers carrying LNG "could cause traffic backups, hurt tourism and marine economies and slow emergency response times". In this case, they are talking about Narragansett Bay (a bit bigger than the mouth of the Columbia River), but the blockage of commercial traffic, fishing, and private use due to security zones around the tankers is similar to what we'd face on the Columbia.

The studies focus on the economic impact and baseline safety instead of terrorism concerns. "This has nothing to do with terrorists or tankers blowing up or anything," said Keith Stokes, executive director of the Newport County Chamber of Commerce. "This has to do with our vision over the next 10 years for the economy..."

The article goes on to cite the size of the security zones: "The ships would be protected by a security zone two miles ahead, one mile behind and more than a half-mile on either side..."

If such security zones were implemented here, all traffic on the Columbia River would have to be halted (as well as the highways that run along the river on both sides).

In the Rhode Island scenerio, "Stokes said he was concerned the tankers would change the image of Narragansett Bay in the minds of recreational boaters, coastal residents and developers. 'It turns Narragansett Bay into a highway for these tankers,' he said." Concerns about the traffic delays across the bridges are also cited, as the would not only cause significant delays when the bridges are shut down due to security concerns, but also that "Those delays could prevent fire, ambulance and other services from responding quickly to emergencies." The situation here with the Astoria bridge parallels the scenerio in Rhode Island, where the prospect of regularly shutting down the Astoria bridge is fraught with issues.

Clearly, putting LNG plants on, and LNG tankers in the Columbia River is a poorly conceived idea, especially given that by siting these facilities offshore, it alleviates the need to bring such tankers into the Columbia River at all.

Oregon state agencies

Here is how to get in touch with the Oregon state agencies and elected officials who are concerned with the siting of LNG plants.

Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE)
Phil Carver
Oregon Department of Energy
625 Marion St NE
Salem, OR 97301
email: philip.h.carver@state.or.us