County urged to seek state backing in LNG negotiations

Opponents of a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal near Puget Island on Tuesday urged Wahkiakum County officials to seek support from state agencies in making agreements with plant proponents.

Brett VandenHeuvel, attorney for Columbia Riverkeeper, a group opposed to the proposed Bradwood Landing LNG plant, told county Commissioners George Trott, Dan Cothren and Blair Brady that support from state agencies would allow them to negotiate with Bradwood Landing or impose conditions on operations and safety practices for the plant.

VandenHeuvel said the plant will have to meet conditions of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), the Clean Water Act, and the State Environmental Protection Act (SEPA) which are administered in Washington by the state Department of Ecology.

"Wahkiakum County concerns have power when combined with the Department of Ecology," VandenHeuvel said.

"Once the county has the state hammer behind it, NorthernStar Natural Gas (Bradwood Landing's parent company) will likely respond and provide the financial assistance you need," he said.

The commissioners responded that Bradwood Landing and NorthernStar have already responded, and the parties are working on an agreement that would address safety and security issues.

"We'll talk with our permitting people and legal advisor and look into it," Commissioner Trott said.

Commissioner Cothren added that the county often feels state agencies such as the DOE ignore county concerns.

"We deal with these agencies all the time, and it's very frustrating," he said.

He added that he doubted that the county or state could have much legal standing to comment or impose conditions on a project across the state line on the Oregon side of the Columbia.

Commissioner Brady suggested the board contact DOE officials to discuss the issue.

Pete Hackett, community relations liaison for Bradwood Landing, commented that the company is already dealing with the issues.

Water quality will be covered in the federal Clean Water Act, he said. Ecology has assigned the SEPA process to Cowlitz County; the company is working with local jurisdictions on the emergency response plan, and Oregon will review CZMA compliance.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which has ultimate authority over LNG plant siting, required the company to go through Clatsop County's permitting process.

"Washington doesn't have a dog in this fight," he added.

Puget Island resident George Exum disagreed with the latter comment. A retired marine engineer, he said the engines on the tankers, tugs and escort boats will create eroding currents that will affect Puget Island when the ship is going through the docking or embarking process.

Sheriff Dan Bardsley expanded on comments he made at the board's May 27 meeting in which he reported on a fact-finding trip he recently made with Trott and Undersheriff Jon Dearmore to the Cove Point, Maryland, LNG terminal. The purpose of the trip, he said, was to learn safety and security procedures and processes.

"You are my number one customer," he told the people in the audience. "You're the people I take care of. I have to listen to both sides . . . I'm not going to sell you down the river.

"We're going to have the knowledge of what's going up and down the river and how to deal with it."

He added that although NorthernStar financed the trip, he couldn't share the materials he collected with them because of security clearance controls.