Letter: Tail wagging the dog

After reading and rereading the redundant letter the U.S. Coast Guard recently sent to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in regard to the Bradwood tanker ballast/screening issue, I have come to the conclusion that the tail is wagging the dog ("Coast Guard alerts FERC to LNG tanker ballast problems," The Daily Astorian, May 18).

None of the criteria mentioned in this FERC letter would need to be addressed if this terminal was not intended for one specific location on the Columbia River: a location that for centuries has been a vital nursery for native smolt and Columbia River smelt - nature's abundance that has sustained generations of ancestral and modern Northwesterners, and has continuously supported commercial, sport and individual family ventures - an abundance of food that is a Northwestern icon.
More: http://www.dailyastorian.info/main.asp?SectionID=23&SubSectionID=393&ArticleID=61144

According to a Congressional Report up to $1.5 Billion annual have been spend annually on habitat restoration, mitigation and the survival of the endangered salmon and steelhead species. (Blogger)