LNG journey is long, full of twists and turns

To The Eagle:

What a long, strange trip it’s been! Oregon LNG, then known as Calpine, first showed up in 2004 wanting to build an liquified natural gas (LNG) import terminal. It was trying to convince us that we “needed” more natural gas in the Pacific Northwest. Here we are nine years later with Oregon LNG (ORLNG) insisting it needs to export natural gas. The public hearing on October 9 will allow Clatsop County to decide if the proposed pipeline meets our land use laws.

The Clatsop County Planning Staff, administrators and the current county commissioners who represent us deserve the highest praise for their professional handling of the ORLNG land use application through this long and complex process. I am impressed with their efforts to respect community concerns and allow for citizen input whenever possible. At the same time the county staff and commissioners have patiently waded through numerous court challenges and delaying tactics by ORLNG while making sure that the procedures were not only legally correct but fair to all involved in the process.

In determining whether the pipeline application is allowed under Clatsop County land use rules, the Clatsop County planning staff prepared more than 243 pages of detailed, well-researched findings in March, 2011.

I wholeheartedly support the county commissioners' concern for forest acres that may be permanently removed from production due to the 41 miles of pipelines crossing public and private forests in Clatsop County.

I wholeheartedly support the county’s recognition of the very real possibilities of pipeline frac-outs and other significant damage to stream and river crossings and to the estuary.

I wholeheartedly support the county’s clarification of jobs listed by ORLNG as applying to the terminal, and of no jobs listed about the pipeline.

I wholeheartedly support the county commissioners' attention to the fact that ORLNG has never submitted to ANY agency an Emergency Response Plan for the pipeline, which would cross private and public property in Clatsop County.

Why should we give away local jobs, safety and a rich environment for a private company which plans to EXPORT our limited North American resources? I urge our county commissioners to continue to wisely apply the land use laws of Clatsop County and the state of Oregon and deny the ORLNG pipeline proposal.

Cheryl Johnson, Astoria