noLNG

Riverkeeper leader a hero to friends, obstructionist to foes

HOOD RIVER, Ore. — From his second-story office in an old househere, Brett VandenHeuvel has a fine view of the object of hispassion. Last Wednesday, the Columbia River coursed by in the neardistance, wide, cold and gray, with white hills rising above itsbanks after a recent snowfall.

VandenHeuvel, the executive director of Columbia Riverkeeper,has made it his duty to fight any project he considers harmful tothe 1,400-mile waterway. More: http://tdn.com/news/local/article_98d8f458-000f-11e0-b3c1-001cc4c03286.html ...Comment by Brett van den Heuvel, I think the thing that the story completely missed, and that perhaps you could comment on in letter to editor, is that the LNG victory was a huge group effort of hundreds and hundreds of people and over a dozen organizations, etc.  The story reads like Riverkeeper simply waved a magic wand in order to “bleed” LNG.  Nothing is further from the truth, as you’ve seen for years.  Riverkeeper was but one piece of an amazing coalition – a coalition that started in Cowlitz County and Clatsop before Riverkeeper even got involved.

Letter: Steps toward pipeline appeal

The Clatsop County Commissioners have a great opportunity to demonstrate their respect for the public's opposition to liquefied natural gas (LNG). Recently, the hearings officer hired by the county ignored the evidence presented in a public hearing and the county's professional staff recommendation and gave preliminary approval of the proposed Oregon LNG (OLNG) pipeline.

This pipeline would start in Warrenton on the Skipanon Peninsula, north of Harbor Drive, and rip through Clatsop County, to transmit regasified LNG to California. I am one of nine parties appealing that decision to the county. I encourage the current board of county commissioners to take several steps concerning this appeal:

http://www.dailyastorian.info/main.asp?SectionID=23&SubSectionID=393&ArticleID=73440

Wu Introduces Bill to Return State Control Over LNG Decisions

At a time when Congress is expected take little action in the run-up to the November elections, U.S. Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.) has introduced a new bill aimed at returning state control over where to place liquefied natural gas facilities.

Wu, who’s running for re-election in the First Congressional District against Republican Rob Cornilles, on Tuesday introduced the Local Control for Energy and the Environment Act. The bill would repeal portions of the 2005 Energy Policy Act that stripped away much of the decision-making power over LNG facilities from the states.

 

Wu’s bill would return much of the authority states lost over LNG decisions in the Bush-era Energy Policy Act. It would also require FERC to consult with states about any inter-agency agreements over safety and security at LNG facilities

http://blogs.wweek.com/news/2010/09/16/wu-introduces-bill-to-return-state-control-over-lng-decisions/

 

 

Press release by Columbia Riverkeeper

Oregon Agency Formally Denies Bradwood LNG Project

 

Astoria, OR – On Tuesday, the State of Oregon’s Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) formally denied the Bradwood LNG project, deeming it inconsistent with Oregon’s Coastal Zone Management Program.  The news adds finality to the end of the Bradwood LNG proposal after Bradwood’s parent company, NorthernStar Natural Gas, filed for bankruptcy in May.

 

Brett VandenHeuvel, executive director of Columbia Riverkeeper, welcomed the news of Oregon’s denial of Bradwood LNG.  “This project has been lingering in bankruptcy, and today’s emphatic denial by the State of Oregon effectively renders Bradwood LNG worthless for any prospective buyers.  This is a very significant nail in Bradwood’s coffin.”

 

Added VandenHeuvel, “When combined with Washington’s denial of a Clean Water Act permit for this project, today’s decision by Oregon makes it abundantly clear that Bradwood LNG has no future.”

 

George Exum is a marine engineer and chair of Wahkiakum Friends of the River who lives across the Columbia River from the bankrupt LNG terminal proposal.  He stated, “We’ve known for a long time that this project isn’t viable.  Bradwood LNG’s high-profile failure is a strong signal that LNG will never move forward in the Pacific Northwest, including the proposed Oregon LNG and Jordan Cove LNG terminals in Oregon.”

 

Sandra Davis, a landowner along the proposed Bradwood LNG pipeline, expressed relief at the action taken by Oregon DLCD.  “After seeing the terrible disaster in San Bruno, we are relieved that this pipeline – which would have been just as large as PG&E’s, and non-odorized – has been formally rejected.  I certainly hope that Oregon LNG and the Jordan Cove LNG and Pacific Connector projects are soon to follow.”

 

Approval by the State of Oregon was a mandatory condition of FERC’s approval of the project.  Oregon’s denial came after the DLCD repeatedly requested additional information or an extension from Bradwood LNG and received no response from the company.

Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development

Read the Conclusion of ODLCD; Download OCMZ  document of 17 pages.

 

 

 

More US LNG projects scrapped as economics become less favorable

"The logic says that there won't be any more," he said. "There is no need
for more capacity. It's a very simple number to do."
Full article:

http://www.platts.com/RSSFeedDetailedNews/RSSFeed/HeadlineNews/NaturalGas/6418769/

Washington DOE letter of Denial

Download DOE Letter of Denial LNG

Did Bradwood forget to pay the bills?

Yet another Bradwood legacy?

A local tipster told the Ear to go look at the door of Bradwood Landing's old office. Curiosity piqued, the Ear trundled down to the corner of Ninth and Commercial streets, and sure enough, there was a yellow disconnect order from Pacific Power stuck in the doorway. In the handwritten part of the notice, it says, "Please pay $1005.31 to avoid disconnect."
 
The Ear is guessing whoever posted the note there didn't notice that the office is empty, and didn't know the company is in bankruptcy. Or maybe it was just wishful thinking on the part of the utility company.

Note to Pacific Power: Get in line.

 http://www.dailyastorian.info/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=1054&ArticleID=72401&TM=278.758

Conflict inevitable

Andy Jordan? Port of Astoria legal counsel ("Port looks to build new Red Lion Inn," The Daily Astorian, July 21)? And this would be the same Andy Jordan we saw up on the Liberty Theater stage advising and doing the "legal guiding" of the then-sitting Richard Lee County Commission's initial hearings and deliberations of the proposed Bradwood Landing liquefied natural gas receiving terminal - and has been in on it since?

And now, here he and his firm are, the new, official, legal counsel for the Port of Astoria, with Oregon LNG/pipeline hearings and deliberations on the horizon with Clatsop County and the city of Warrenton. We all know, contrary to how stupid the folks at Port of Astoria assume we are, that the agency will not be immune from those discussions. Jordan advising them offers some reason for concern, in my view.

Wonder if Jordan's firm came up with the "hearings officer" concept for the county and Warrenton to relieve the sitting members of both commissions of the accountability of making spontaneous and knowledgeable decisions on what they were elected to do in the first place?

Then, who oversees the validity of the hearings officer's decisions - without the inevitable appeals and battles?

PATRICK McGEE
Astoria

http://www.dailyastorian.info/main.asp?SectionID=23&SubSectionID=393&ArticleID=72433