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Gov. Chris Gregoire addresses approximately 200 supporters during a campaign speech Saturday in Pullman, Wash. Dean Hare / Moscow-Pullman Daily News

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Gregoire staffers say they'll pressure NorthernStar for answers on LNG project

Friday, August 29, 2008 7:17 PM PDT

By Tony Lystra

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Washington state officials this week criticized federal regulators for what they called a lax review of a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal on the Columbia River and asked that federal officials not approve the project until other state permits are issued.

The state also said it will press the terminal’s backers, NorthernStar Natural Gas, to mend what’s widely considered to be a prickly relationship with landowners in Cowlitz County.

In an interview with The Daily News, officials from Gov. Chris Gregoire’s office as well as the Washington Department of Ecology stopped short of issuing an opinion about the project. But their comments were some of the most aggressive to come from Washington agencies regarding Houston-based NorthernStar’s plan to build an LNG import terminal at Bradwood, Ore., and string a pipeline across Clatsop, Columbia and Cowlitz counties.

“Pressure is being applied,” said Jay Manning, the department of ecology director. “We are going to be hard asses for adequate, complete and reliable information.”

Manning’s statements come as the Federal Regulatory Energy Commission appears poised to issue a license for NorthernStar’s terminal and pipeline. FERC released its final environmental impact statement for the project earlier this summer, saying the terminal posed “limited” impacts on the region.

The Washington Department of Ecology joined Oregon officials last month in criticizing FERC’s environmental review.

Matt Steuerwalt, Gregoire’s executive policy advisor, said Thursday that the department of ecology will assist Cowlitz County in a local environmental review of plans for NorthernStar’s pipeline, something it declined to do last year, frustrating Cowlitz County officials who said their staff was too small to handle the reams of paperwork.

Steuerwalt said the state now believes it can use the local environmental review to press NorthernStar for information that was left out of the federal environmental impact statement.

Steuerwalt also said Gregoire’s office would pressure NorthernStar to mend its relationship with Cowlitz County landowners, who may lose a portion of their land to the pipeline through eminent domain laws. The landowners have said they feel muscled by the company.

NorthernStar, Steuerwalt said, “may not have gotten off on the right foot in Cowlitz County” and may “need to go back and make that better.”

Joe Desmond, NorthernStar’s vice president for external affairs, said it was inaccurate to say his company hasn’t engaged with the project’s opponents. But, he said, “We welcome any role the state can play in ... reaching a better understanding with the affected landowners. We think that’s a very positive thing.”

Manning acknowledged this week that “there’s been some criticism” of state officials and Gregoire’s office for not speaking out about the proposed terminal. Washington officials have not been ignoring the issue, he said, they’ve simply taken a “less visible” and “more measured” approach.

Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski has in recent months aggressively pressed federal officials to study the need for LNG in Oregon. His energy department has released a report suggesting the state’s gas needs could be met by additional pipelines. Kulongoski also has blasted FERC for issuing what he called a “fatally flawed” environmental impact statement.

Manning, by contrast, said Washington officials “didn’t want to come in gloves off and go immediately into a fight ... That’s not the way to do business.”

But Manning said Gregoire has charged state officials with protecting Washington’s citizens and, “if that means we have to go toe-to-toe with FERC, so be it.”

The approval process is far from over, he said, and there’s still time to press NorthernStar for more information about how the terminal would affect the region.

“We’re still relatively at the front end of this process,” Manning said.

Washington’s best leverage, he said, may come from the fact that the Cowlitz County stretch of NorthernStar’s pipeline must receive a water-quality certification from his agency and a lease for lands beneath the Columbia River from the state Department of Natural Resources.

Manning said the department of ecology is asking FERC to hold off on granting a license for the terminal until the state considers whether to issue those and other permits.

“What we’re saying to FERC is, ‘You don’t have enough information to make an informed decision yet,’” he said.

Manning said he also worries that NorthernStar will pull out of the state process once it has federal approvals, which can in some cases override local permits.

“Once they get that federal license, it’s toodeloo,” he said.

Desmond, the NorthernStar spokesman, noted that Oregon officials have had similar concerns and said his company will satisfy all of Oregon’s and Washington’s environmental requirements.

But, asked if he would be open to slowing down the federal approval process, he said, “The process has been under way for three-and-a-half years. There are tens of thousands of pages of data on the record. It’s a massive amount of information. What’s needed is a process to ensure that we’re satisfying the states’ concerns, and we’re willing to do that.”

Related article:

State questions Brandwood Landing review  (July 26)

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gimpy wrote on Aug 29, 2008 7:13 AM:

" There goes Joe Desmond again, trying to make lemonade when he is handed lemons. This meeting and the offer to take on the project alongside Cowlitz County is about two years late, but better late than never. Manning promises to be "a hard ass", well he had better back up that promise. We landowners have been left swinging in the wind for too long by our State officials. And Matt Steurewalt, don't expect people who have been mailed letters from NorthernStar "explaining" the Eminent Domain process, to suddenly kiss and make up with NorthernStar, unless the offer is to kiss a distant part of my anatomy! "

TDN Bad Boy wrote on Aug 29, 2008 7:48 AM:

" In a campaign season, the TDN got suckered on this story. Lots of free campaign publicity to this because all this is is campaign rhetoric. She knows that her numbers have dipped very low in the river counties and this is her way of getting votes. There is absolutely nothing she can do to stop this if the federal government approves and it will. She is anti-business and always has been. What Da Tax Queen should realize is that this can add economic stimulus to the area. The NIMBYs just think their area is sacred. What a joke. "

Lance Johnson wrote on Aug 29, 2008 8:00 AM:

" Notice how it says "staffers". Thats because shes too busy hanging out in Denver at the Temple of Obama trying to be a celebrity. Memo to Chrissy... Your election is here in Washington state. Better get the moving company on the horn. "

The Original Matt wrote on Aug 29, 2008 8:56 AM:

" political move, nothing more, the timing stinks, an effort to get votes and its so incredibly obvious no one will buy into it. "

Rural Citizen wrote on Aug 29, 2008 8:57 AM:

" What a bunch of nasty comments. I mean REALLY, I am beginning to be ashamed of the people of this area. Never a measured thought or word, just shoot from the hip and think you are ALWAYS CORRECT ALL THE TIME.

The two things that stick out in this story for me are, "Gregoire has charged state officials with protecting Washingtons citizens and, if that means we have to go toe-to-toe with FERC, so be it.

The approval process is far from over. . ."

THAT to me is priceless. Imagine a State Governor who cares about the citizens, who answers to the citizens, who works to PROTECT the citizens from BIG CORPORATIONS who seek to vacuum more value out of our local area and take it home to Texas.

Go ahead, Rossi Supporters. Stand with him for the pipeline. Remember that Washington State is the DOOR TO ALASKA. No Wonder DICK CHENEY IS BACKING AND OPENLY SUPPORTING DINO ROSSI.

You like the last 8 years? What are you smoking? Or drinking? I want some too. "

TDN Bad Boy wrote on Aug 29, 2008 9:36 AM:

" Cares about the citizens? Are you kidding me? This is nothing but campaign babble from one of the biggest liars this state has ever seen. Remember her No New Taxes pledge in 2004? What happened in her first 100 days? New gas tax. She has done nothing but tax and waste dollars since taking office. Look at where our state state. Crime? What has she done to fight meth down here? Nothing. That is a bigger problem than this which only concerns a few NIMBYs. The only thing Liberals like Rural Citizen can spout is scare tactics -- money going to Texas, pipeline to Alaska, Dick Cheney this and Dick Cheney that. Those tactics have nothing to do with this campaign. It is typical Liberal Demoncrat sky-is-falling lies. I am surprised Rural Citizen didn't pull out the A card to scare women voters senseless. Afterall Liberals like Rural Citzen only believe that women think with their reproductive organs. It's time for different leadership in Washington. One that doesn't hug criminals, one that is business friendly, one that isn't tax-and-waste crazy. Time to tell Da Tax Queen to take her lies and ride off on her broom. A vote for Rossi is a vote for a better Washington. "

Viewpoint wrote on Aug 29, 2008 10:03 AM:

" Let's hear it for pragmatism. If there's only one dog in the race wearing your colors you would be wise to root for that dog. Make the most of election year politics while you've got the chance. "

DUH wrote on Aug 29, 2008 10:17 AM:

" A little off subject but something Bad Boy should know. You've said many times that our judges are too soft on crime. I agree with you that there should be stiffer sentences but, their hands are tied. They are tied by the standard sentencing guidelines. A set of guidelines that have to be followed when sentencing criminals. Along with severity of the crime, they have to take into account the criminals past criminal history. If they have none or are just minor crimes, then the sentence is lighter. The system sucks but, these guidelines were put in place in 1984 during (you guessed it) Republican rule. You continue to harp on Democrats being soft on crime when it was the Republicans that instituted these rules in the first place. Lay blame where blame is due. "

Mr. Bastinado wrote on Aug 29, 2008 10:41 AM:

" I have to agree w/Rural Citizen on this one. I have been an independent voter in the past, but after the last 8 years of lies, deceptions, high crimes and misdemeanors, record deficits and spending on the part of our friends in the Republican Party, I will never (NEVER) again vote for a GOP (Republican) party candidate. Sooner or later a person has to say, "Enough is enough". I don't care if the Democratic Party candidate is Adolph Hitler, I'm voting for him (her). The GOP has shown it's true colors and I've been horrified by their actions. I just hope that the state Dem Party uses photos of Rossi shaking hands with Darth Cheney. That picture oughta be worth a thousand (nasty) words. "

TDN Bad Boy wrote on Aug 29, 2008 11:03 AM:

" This is a perfect example of Liberal Demoncrat scare tactics. Neither Duh nor Bastinado speak to this subject. Very funny how the Liberals always try to change the subject from the point her. Da Tax Queen has done nothing for the citizens as she wants to state. The majority wants this project. It is good for the region's economy. It is jobs. The NIMBYs are crying because they think their region is sacred. It's not. What a bunch of crybabies. You Liberals are amazing. Truly amazing. You will do anything to keep Da Tax Queen in control. Like I said, a vote for Rossi is a vote for a better America. If not the scared Liberals would not be using the tactics they are and they would be speaking about the facts. "

gimpy wrote on Aug 29, 2008 11:18 AM:

" Wow, after all these comments, I had to go back and read the story to remind myself it was about LNG. Of course the process is political, and we recognize that Gregoire is playing this conciliatory card now in hopes of winning back some of the votes she has lost in Cowlitz County. I've got bad news, Christine, it's too little, too late. If your staff had taken the time to answer some of our concerned letters with something other than a standard form letter, telling us how to access the FERC website, maybe things would be different. Good grief, we probably know more about the FERC website than you do! I think Rossi would be a disaster as governor, so I'll vote "none of the above". "

DUH wrote on Aug 29, 2008 11:31 AM:

" Hey Bad Boy... "Look at where our state state. Crime? What has she done to fight meth down here?" You brought it up, not me. You don't want to hear about the screw ups your party is made. You are the one resorting to "scare tactics". "

DUH wrote on Aug 29, 2008 11:37 AM:

" Here's something for ya Bad Boy... You always scream about the gas tax she imposed. If you don't like it, do your part to show your disagreement with it and stop buying gas and driving on the roads that the tax is used for keeping in drivable condition. "

LOUIE wrote on Aug 29, 2008 11:51 AM:

" Maybe it is a political move but at least something is being done. The "Temple of Obama" comment is a perfect example of the way many Americans are thinking and acting these days and part of what is wrong with America. People...we have to work TOGETHER or America will be forever broken. Get over it! Have a little common sense and stop the name calling, it does no good and only fosters more dissent between us when we should all try to work as one. We could accomplish so much if this would only happen. I am tired of being labled the Ugly American but unfortunately it is true. We could once again be the greatest nation on earth but not if we keep bickering and name calling. "

Snow Shark wrote on Aug 29, 2008 1:32 PM:

" Just a vote getting ploy from the tax queen "

crowsfeet wrote on Aug 29, 2008 2:45 PM:

" Agreeing with the rest, this issue has been going on for over a year, did she just realize it? No, it's a vote grab attempt. She really wants it so she can get more tax monies. The only people that can stop this project are the Feds. "

DUH wrote on Aug 29, 2008 4:14 PM:

" My family and I sit down almost every evening for some good quality family bonding. We each take turns reading aloud Bad Boys comments. It's great fun. You should try it sometime. We've had some real laugh riots and laughed ourselves to tears on many occasions. His comments are so much funnier than any sitcom on tv. His constant bashing and infantile name calling are overwhelming proof of his fear that his party will lose. Today's comments are looking like this is going to be another 'laugh out loud" evening in our home. Thank you Bad Boy. Thank you. "

grams wrote on Aug 29, 2008 5:37 PM:

" crowsfeet... In fact this issue has been goin on for almost three years. We have been trying to get some statement from our governor for about that long. And she is still hiding behind staff. It isn't just the LNG issue , it is that she has chosen not to acknowledge that Southwest Washington exists! And especially Cowlitz County.. Could it be that she had her staff threw out a crumb because she lost the vote in this county? And don't forget little Joe Desmond was her campaign chairman for her first run. "

grams wrote on Aug 29, 2008 8:43 PM:

" Ooops, grams typed before her brain was in gear. Tim Zenk, not Joe Desmond was The guv's campaign chairman. They both , however now do the spin for NorthernStar. Sorry for the mis-statement. gettin really old I guess! "

country gal wrote on Aug 29, 2008 11:09 PM:

" "Maybe it is a political move but at least something is being done". I do agree with you, Louie, that we have to work together or America will be forever broken. However, she waited til the end to use this as her political move. I resent that. I don't have room for anyone playing politics like she does. We all know that nowadays it's all about politics and power, not the United States of America. "

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