Demonstrators occupy LNG site

August 16 , 2007

People protesting the proposed Bradwood Landing liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant crossed the Columbia Monday and occupied a portion of the site.

The demonstration capped the week-long West Coast Convergence for Climate Action held at Fairgrounds Park in Skamokawa. As many as 300 people gathered at a time to hear speakers on climate change (a related story may be found inside this edition of The Eagle).

Approximately 90 local residents and activists took part in the occupation of the proposed LNG facility site, saying they wanted to demonstrate their resolute opposition to the NorthernStar project at Bradwood, Ore. The demonstrators gathered at the residences of Puget Islanders opposing the plant early Monday morning. After going over ground rules with organizers, who stressed repeatedly the demonstration was to be peaceful and non-confrontational, the demonstrators took to boats, kayaks and an Inuit style long boat to cross the river.

Organizers said the crossing was made to highlight the proximity, less than ½ mile, of the LNG proposal to residents of Puget Island.

The protestors and local project opponents have given several reasons for their opposition.

Islanders dislike the risk a fire poses--they say an accident could lead to a blaze that would severely impact them. Recent photographs produced by NorthernStar show every house within two miles of the Bradwood proposal with a number on its roof, they said. The images correspond roughly to the potential fire hazard and vapor cloud dispersion area in the case of a large LNG spill.

They also object to the siting of a major industrial facility in an undeveloped setting; they say the site could have significant adverse impacts on people using the river for they would be required to back off 500 yards when an LNG tanker was in the river. They also oppose the impact of a pipe line that would be built to connect the plant with a pipeline along I-5, saying the pipeline would pose danger if ruptured, and that the route would impact property owners.

"There are a lot of reasons against it and no good reason for it to be there," commented Samantha Duncan of Cottage Grove, Ore. "It would have negative impacts on the environment; it's questionable that the terminal would be economically viable; there's no need for more fossil fuels in the Pacific Northwest, and there are enough resources in place for conservation and energy efficiency to address energy needs."

"The destruction caused by this industry will be much greater than the immediate local impacts," said George Exum, who lives within one mile of the proposed site.

"Not only are our estuary and community threatened by this fossil fuel project, but the health of the entire Columbia River is at stake. These public waters would be permanently impacted by LNG construction, and security zones would exclude boaters from these areas if this proposal is approved."

Organizers noted that the demonstrators would occupy beach in the intertidal zone that is normally open to the public. However, the access would be denied if the plant were built.

Monica Vaughan, one of the organizers working with the convergence, said the demonstration fit in well with the convergence's climate change theme.

"The first step in a community-based response to climate change is to stop the development of new fossil fuel infrastructure," she said. Because of its long supply chain, LNG is significantly worse than conventional natural gas in its carbon footprint, she said, and participants hoped to inspire opposition to the next generation of climate-changing foreign fossil fuels.