Commissioners file comments on LNG

Wahkiakum County commissioners on Tuesday signed a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission taking issue with some comments by Bradwood Landing and NorthernStar Natural Gas.

Earlier this year, the commissioners asked FERC to require NorthernStar to fund an analysis by an independent entity to determine the emergency service and security requirements of the county in relation to the plant operation.

In its own comments subsequently filed with FERC on the application to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal across the Columbia from Puget Island at Bradwood, NorthernStar had said it was working with the county and local emergency responders on plans and proposals for possible incidents involving the plant.

The commissioners acknowledged that NorthernStar has met with local firemen and the sheriff's department, but there have been no agreements on funding or services, they said.

" . . . the commissioners have not seen a proposed cost sharing proposal from NorthernStar," the letter said. "Wahkiakum County continues to have concerns about the revised Emergency Response Plan."

The letter also says NorthernStar erred in stating that it has funded "Wahkiakum County $100,000 per year without restriction on how they spend the money. A fraction of that money could have been spent on the referenced study or could be spent in the future."

Instead, the commissioners point out that the money has gone to the Wahkiakum Community Foundation, an independent, non-profit organization not associated with county government. To date, the letter says, the county has seen only $37,000 granted for a study to identify how to improve radio communications for emergency services.

The commissioners also asked FERC in the letter to evaluate carefully the concerns expressed in other comments about the effect of ship wakes and tug boat thrusts on county shorelines.

A copy of the letter was mailed to NorthernStar.