Northern Star should pay before building LNG.

To The Eagle:

Thanks to the Board of Wahkiakum County Commissioners for their attention to the proposed LNG terminal and pipeline at Bradwood, Oregon. Our citizens and their properties are the closest to the proposed LNG terminal and the LNG carrier during unloading and river transit. Unfortunately, NorthernStar, the Bradwood promoter, has not been candid in its response to the county.

On December 18, 2007 the Commissioners wrote to the Federal Regulatory Energy Commission (FERC) expressing concerns that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) does not adequately address the safety and economic impact on the county’s residents.

Our Commissioners requested a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) based on an independent safety assessment and economic impact assessment, to be funded by NorthernStar. The Commissioners also asked FERC to make the results a condition to the federal permit and Final EIS. After no response from NorthernStar, the Board submitted a follow-up letter on April 8, 2008. The answer from NorthernStar reads as follow: “Bradwood Landing has funded Wahkiakum County $100,000 per year without restriction on how they spend the money. A fraction of the money could have been spent on the referenced study or could be spent in the future. Bradwood Landing has generously funded Wahkiakum County for these types of needs”.

NorthernStar’s answer is not accurate. NorthernStar gave the money to a private non-profit organization, Wahkiakum Community Foundation, not to the County government.

Therefore, the control of the money is not within the County government and is not readily available for these studies. Secondly, the cost of these studies could far exceed the amount of the gift. The Public Safety Assessment and Emergency Response Plan (ERP) Revisions and Response Resource Cost Share Report for Clatsop County, Oregon cost more than $170,000.

Even though the LNG terminal would be in Oregon, Wahkiakum County would face enormous expenses for emergency, medical and security services and related infrastructure. We need to know what we would need and how much it would cost.

The funding by NorthernStar and execution of the needed resources should be completed before the start of the operation phase and continued thereafter.

Frans Eykel

Puget Island, WA.