The proposed Jordan Cove LNG Import Terminal is to be located on the North Spit of Coos Bay, 7.5 miles up the Coos Bay Channel and less than a mile from where people live and work. The terminal consists of two 160,000 cubic meter storage tanks (42 million gallons each) and an LNG marine terminal berth that is being designed to hold up to 210,000 cubic meter ships. The building of the Marine Slip dock (which is being done by the International Port of Coos Bay - ie; taxpayers) involves the removal of a 100 foot high forested sand dune and a large volume of dredged material. The facility is projected to produce 1.0 billion cubic feet a day of regasified LNG (more than the entire State of Oregon uses) which will be put into the Pacific Connector Pipeline and transported to mostly California markets.
The Jordan Cove LNG facility and storage tanks will sit on dredging spoils on the North Spit of Coos Bay (an unstable sand dune area); in a “Red” Tsunami inundation zone; in an Earthquake subduction zone; across from the end of an active airport runway; in the flight path of the runway; next to a highly used Dune National Recreation area; in an area known for high winds and ship disasters; less than a mile from the City of North Bend. Tankers will enter the narrow Coos Bay and pass within feet of the communities of Charleston, Barview, Empire(Coos Bay), North Bend, and Glasgow. It is estimated that between 30 and 40 thousand people live in the immediate area and could be impacted by the LNG terminal project alone.
There are two Conditional Land Use Applications that are currently under appeal to the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) in regards to this Jordan Cove LNG Terminal project. The appeal on the land based portion of the facility has already been heard by LUBA and their decision is to come down on June 26th , 2008. The appeal on the marine terminal slip dock portion of the facility is currently awaiting a LUBA hearing which is set for July 1st at 11:00 a.m. in Salem.
The proposed Pacific Connector Pipeline which is connected with this LNG terminal project is a 230-mile-long, 36-inch-diameter, high pressure (1,440 PSI) interstate transmission pipeline. 158 miles of this pipeline is to cross private property with 72 miles slated to cross federal “public” lands (Apprioximately 30 miles is proposed for National Forest Land (USFS) and 40 for BLM land with the remaining crossing Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) lands). The permanent pipeline route is still in flux so these figures could change slightly.
The pipeline is proposed to snake it’s way from the North Spit of Coos Bay southeast through the Bay itself continuing from there over steep mountainous terrain through forest lands, farmlands and private lands, going through four Southern Oregon Counties (Coos, Douglas, Jackson, & Klamath) before reaching its destination of Malin, Oregon. At Malin the pipeline is to connect in with other Interstate gas transmission lines just before going across the border into the California network.
The Pacific Connector pipeline as proposed crosses 5 major rivers (the Coos, Coquille, Rogue, South Umpqua & Klamath), crossing several of these rivers twice. It also crosses hundreds of tributaries and streams, many of which are salmon bearing. The pipeline would create a construction clear-cut corridor of 95 feet (an 8 lane hwy) or wider in some cases and would impact many communities across Southern Oregon such as North Bend, Coos Bay, Fairview, Olalla, Milo, Trail, Shady Cove, Klamath Falls, etc. The permanent easement for this pipeline is 75 feet on private property and 53 feet on public lands. No trees are allowed to be grown in the easement area. Most of the gas that will go through this line is slated to go to California. PG & E (a California Utility) is 1/3 partner of the pipeline with Williams of Oklahoma and Fort Chicago of Canada being the other two owners.
Fort Chicago of Canada has controlling interest of the LNG Import terminal which is why the Pacific Connector pipeline is being proposed, to transport regasified LNG from foreign countries to California markets. No LNG import terminals have been successful in locating in California due to the hazards, pollution, and negative impacts these terminals present. For more info visit:
www.nocaliforniapipeline.com
www.citizensagainstlng.com
Currently we are waiting for the Jordan Cove Energy Project and the Pacific Connector to satisfy concerns raised to FERC by agency personnel and also concerns raised by FERC staff. We expect the draft environmental impact statement to possibly come out later this summer. We were told it would be approximately two months from the time the Jordan Cove Energy Project and the Pacific Connector satisfied their concerns before the Draft would come out.
Recently the Jordan Cove Energy Project has requested of FERC that they have the Draft EIS out by the end of July. FERC has responded by issuing a statement saying they project that issuance of the Final EIS will be around Feb 13, 2009 and the 90-Day Federal Agency Action/Decision target date to be May 14, 2009.
Coos Bay and all of the folks who live along these pipelines deserve our support in their fight for their homes and the environment. Check “The Basics” section for more info on the convergence and for more information on Grease Powered Shuttles to and from the event.
