Voice Support for the LNG Public Protection Act- Send an Automatic Letter

Within the next month, the LNG Public Protection Act will be introduced in Oregon’s legislature. The proposed bill would protect Oregon communities from proposed Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) import terminals by using the clear authority that the state has over the issuance of permits for state-owned resources, such as water and land, as well as federally recognized state permitting authority under the Clean Water and Coastal Zone Management Acts. This bill would work to protect public safety and natural resources for the state of Oregon.

Take action:  Click here to send an automatic letter to your state legislators to let them know you support the LNG Public Protection Act and you would like them to support it as well.

The bill does not ban LNG in the state, but clarifies and strengthens the state’s existing authority in permitting LNG facilities. The LNG Public Protection Act has four components:

1) Ensures there is a need for LNG before giving away state resources. It must be demonstrated that domestic sources of natural gas cannot meet Oregon’s needs and that the price of LNG does not exceed the price of domestic natural gas.
2) Ensures that LNG facilities are consistent with Oregon’s strategies for addressing climate change and reducing greenhouse gases.
3) Ensures that natural resources are protected by not allowing the harm of beneficial uses such as recreational fishing and agriculture.
4) Ensures that vulnerable citizens are protected by prohibiting facilities that have an identified fire-risk zone that overlaps with high sensitivity use, such as day care centers and hospitals.

For any questions, email lesley@kswild.org.

Background on LNG in Southwest Oregon:

There are currently three proposed LNG import facilities in Oregon: two on the Columbia River and one in southwest Oregon. Any one of these projects would import twice the amount of natural gas than what Oregon currently consumes. The Jordan Cove/ Pacific Connector LNG project would build an import facility in Coos Bay and an associated 230-mile pipeline to tie into the TransCanada pipeline at the California border near Klamath Falls. There are numerous reasons that communities are concerned about LNG proposals in Oregon, ranging from environmental damage and property rights to national security and climate change.

The public comment period closed in December 2008 for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s  (FERC) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Jordan Cove/Pacific Connector project. The plan, which threatens water quality, endangered species and the safety of adjacent communities, has a DEIS that is riddled with holes and inadequacies. Landowners, community members, scientists, state and federal agencies and Governor Kulongoski all expressed serious concerns with the DEIS.

The Jordan Cove/Pacific Connector proposal would impact Coos, Douglas, Jackson and Klamath counties to serve the voracious California market. The pipeline would cross two mountain ranges, five major rivers (including the Rogue), hundreds of streams containing imperiled salmon and 72 miles of public forests, clearcutting hundreds of acres of reserves for endangered species and condemn private property along nearly 150 miles.
 
According to a May 2008 report from the Oregon Department of Energy, Oregon's natural gas needs could be adequately met by natural gas from North America. LNG costs more than natural gas and has a much larger carbon footprint because it requires liquefaction, transportation across an ocean, and regasification before being available to consumers on the west Coast. In contrast, we could transport natural gas from Canada or the Rockies to meet our needs while investing in green energy like solar and wind.
For more information on LNG and clean energy solutions, visit the Ratepayers for Affordable, Clean Energy website at www.lngpollutes.org.