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State questions Bradwood Landing review

Wednesday, August 20, 2008 11:07 PM PDT

By Tony Lystra

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The Washington Department of Ecology sent a letter to federal regulators Friday saying its review of the Bradwood Landing liquefied natural gas terminal planned for the Columbia River ignores “major public and environmental safety concerns.”

The agency said environmental documents prepared by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission don’t adequately address “the spectrum of life-threatening and health-threatening emergencies that could arise from the project.”

The ecology department joins an increasing number of lawmakers and government agencies urging FERC to delay issuing a license for NorthernStar Natural Gas Inc’s terminal and pipeline until questions about the environment, safety and the role of LNG in the Northwest energy market are answered.

In its final environmental review, issued last month, FERC said the project would pose “limited” environmental impacts. The agency had been expected to consider issuing a permit for the project last week but said it wanted more time to review comments from government officials and citizens.

The state department of ecology said Friday that FERC isn’t requiring NorthernStar to follow the state’s more stringent regulations for in-water construction of the pipeline. It also complained that FERC won’t require LNG carriers to follow Washington’s voluntary shipping standards, which are aimed at preventing spills.

Ecology officials also said a portion of the pipeline that would accompany the terminal “will run above ground from the Columbia River toward Kelso.”

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 largely took the power to certify new LNG terminals away from the states and handed it to FERC. Washington’s ecology department argued Friday that the only way to guarantee that local safety and environmental standards are followed is if FERC requires them as conditions of its permit.

NorthernStar Natural Gas, of Houston, plans to bring LNG tankers 38 miles up the Columbia River to Bradwood, Ore., where they would unload the liquid gas into two large tanks. The gas would be sent to market through at least one new pipeline, which would be laid across the Columbia River and connect with the Williams pipeline north of Kelso.

Related articles:

Kulongoski's office expecting 'more of the same' as FERC decision on LNG nears  (July 15)

Kulongoski asks feds to halt decision on LNG  (July 14)

LNG decision near? FERC to meet next week  (July 11)

Baird asks feds to delay Bradwood decision  (June 21)

Clatsop County LNG referendum makes ballot  (June 21)

Oregon commission tells Kulongoski region needs more LNG  (June 14)

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gimpy wrote on Jul 26, 2008 8:54 AM:

" Hey, for once the print headline outshines the electronic one! This letter is what we have been waiting for from Ecology. We had begun to believe that our State wasn't going to step forward to protect the citizens of the SW corner of WA. Thank you, Dept. of Ecology! Hold these Texas speculators to the same standards as the average citizen. They are trying to get away with circumventing many of the laws set up to protect the environment from just such exploitation, the Forest Practices Act for one. Tree farmers must leave buffer zones around streams, thus not being able to harvest trees that would bring a high price on the market, but here comes the Bradwood pipeline, and they want to trench across the same streams. Something is rotten in Denmark. "

grams wrote on Jul 26, 2008 9:49 AM:

" the obvious voice that is missing here, and has been missing from the get go, is that of our governor. Where is our governor? Not one peep, squeek, or statement from her that proves she knows that the Columbia River and Southwest Washington exists!!. This report to FERC does validate, and support the concerns of both the citizens of Washington and Oregon in regard to the over-riding power and pompasity of a federal agency which has the God Syndrome! This next election will be interesting. Neither candidate has taken a stand on LNG and Washington State which both want to represent at the highest level. You better make sure the steps to the Capitol building are cleaned and polished governor because we are comming soon, A BUNCH OF US! "

thoughtful wrote on Jul 26, 2008 10:30 PM:

" In the Department of Ecology letter an important statement is made, and I quote, "Clean Water Act, Section 401, Certification. Under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, FERC cannot issue a license or certificate for the project until the applicant receives a section 401 water quality certification from Ecology." So the question becomes, If FERC violates the law by issuing a conditional permit/certification, will the State of Washington sue in order to protect its citizens? "

gimpy wrote on Jul 27, 2008 9:36 AM:

" Right on, Thoughtful. That one little paragraph should grab FERC by the throat and get their attention. I didn't think Ecology would ever get to the point, but when they did, it was with a bang. "

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