Calpine LNG Proposal Decision Contested

Groups Take Calpine LNG Proposal to Court of Appeals

August 3, 2006

Warrenton, OR – Two organizations filed an appeal today with the Oregon State Appeals Court contesting a decision by the Oregon State Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) that allowed the City of Warrenton to re-zone waterfront conservation lands to industrial zoning as a part of their effort to allow Calpine Corporation to develop a Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) import facility near the mouth of the Columbia River.  People For Responsible Prosperity and Columbia Riverkeeper filed the appeal based on LUBA’s ruling that the City did not have to evaluate the serious economic impacts the LNG mega-port would have on the local fishing economy or the project’s public safety threats. 

Cheryl Johnson, an Estuary Coordinator for Columbia Riverkeeper, criticized the City of Warrenton’s decision to move forward with the project.  “If LNG tankers were to come in to our River the economic impact of this project will reverberate through every community around the Estuary.  The LUBA decision allows a bankrupt company to move forward with this high-risk project before even trying to address how it would hurt local economic interests like shipping, crabbing and fishing.”   

Brett VandenHeuvel, attorney for the appellants, summarized the main challenge for the appeal, “We are challenging LUBA’s ruling that Warrenton did not have to consider the negative economic effects on fisherman and others that will be caused by the LNG terminal.  LUBA found that Warrenton could defer this analysis until some uncertain point in the future, but we believe Warrenton had a legal responsibility to consider the impacts of the zone change before it adopted it.”

Dale Beasley, local crab fisherman, gave his perspective on the likely impact of LNG development on his industry.  “LNG traffic will impact our historic freedom of movement in the future, or even immediately.  Our industry is highly dependent on access, and in the winter any disruption could cost us a whole day of work, which is unacceptable.”  Beasley also cited Calpine’s bankrupt status as a reason for concern, and questioned Warrenton’s decision to push the project forward despite negative impacts to the local economy.

The appeal will be formally filed today with the Oregon State Court of Appeals.