Seventeen states say FERC acted improperly

To The Eagle:

On March 3, at 6 p.m., at the Knappa High School gym, we had an opportunity to applaud Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality for doing the right thing regarding, we hope, the imminent demise of Northern Star's preposterous LNG project.

Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality continues to refuse to bow to Northern Star's demands. ('Bradwood dealt triple permit blow' The Daily Astorian, February 23). For this courageous act, we are extremely grateful. Would that other public agencies, assigned to protect our incomparably precious natural resources, persevere likewise. The basis for any permitting process for a project as grandiose as this should only be undertaken if it is based on the soundest science available, rather than appeals to greed on the part of national and international speculation interests.

This important meeting was to support the river, the salmon, the importance of sound science, and the quality of life that we choose to pass down to future generations.

NorthernStar previously applied to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), where they were handed a permit conditional upon the company deserving it at some future date. This was premature and disrespectful to us, the concerned residents of this area. This project, or any other, should not be allowed to jeopardize salmon, and should not disregard other environmental and economic functions of the river.

We also applaud the action of 15 additional states which recently joined Oregon and Washington by filing an amicus brief against FERC for improperly issuing that NorthernStar permit. They all say that FERC overstepped its authority by refusing to wait for required state reviews.

Alan Richards and

Ann Musche'

Naselle