State taking reasonable approach to LNG proposal
Sunday, August 31, 2008 10:40 AM PDT
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E-mail this articleAug. 31 Daily News editorial
With the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) posed to give a conditional go-ahead for construction of the proposed liquefied natural gas terminal at Bradwood Landing, Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire and other state officials are feeling some pressure from opponents to take a stand against the project. A representative of the governor’s office seemed to concede as much during a meeting with The Daily News editorial board this past week.
But, unlike their counterparts in Oregon, Washington officials remain tightly focused on getting the information they believe they need to make an informed decision on the merits of the project and its likely environmental impact. They know the state will have a need for more natural gas, and do not reject the possibility that this project might be the way to meet than need. This is to their credit.
Citizens organized in opposition to the LNG terminal and the natural gas pipeline that would cross Southwest Washington have raised legitimate environmental concerns — concerns that FERC did not fully address in the final environmental impact review it released in June. And some property owners on this side of the river would seem to have valid grievances about the way they’ve been treated in negotiations for pipeline right-of-away.
Washington officials are focused on both of those issues. Jason Manning, director of the state Department of Ecology, has written FERC to complain that its environmental review ignored “major public and environmental safety concerns.” Manning and the governor want FERC to slow down on its permitting of the terminal. They want more information from NorthernStar, the Houston-based company proposing to build the terminal and pipeline. And they are pressing NorthernStar to be more accommodating with Washingtonians whose property is on the route planned for the pipeline.
Matt Steuerwalt, the governor’s executive policy advisor, allows that this approach may be “less visible” and “more measured” than some opponents might like. But it’s a responsible approach, one that doesn’t reject this LNG terminal outright or raise false hopes among staunch opponents of the terminal.
The fact is, FERC holds most the cards. The state can appeal FERC’s licensing process in the courts. Other than that, it’s authority over the project is limited to the Clean Water Act. NorthernStar must have the state’s OK for its pipeline, which cross 37 bodies of water. Manning said his department would hold NorthernStar to the highest standards with regard to the Clean Water Act. As it should.
keeping informed wrote on Sep 1, 2008 8:07 AM:
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