LNG, Public Opinion and Decision-making: Conflict in Oregon

Lisa MB Harrington Kansas State University

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LNG •  Liquified Natural Gas

•  Natural gas condensed into a liquid by cooling to about -163ºC •  Reduced to 1/614th of original volume

•  Over long distances (w/o pipelines), cheaper to transport NG in liquid form

•  Transported by special truck tankers & ocean-going vessels

Photos: lngoneworld.com

•  LNG is considered ‘cleaner’ than coal and petroleum-based fuels, but development also poses issues to be addressed •  Fuel transportation •  Terminal development •  Safety questions

•  LNG may be seen as continuation of fossil fuel dependence

Approved North American LNG Terminals

!  LNG is among the energy sources that may be expanded in the US

http://www.ferc.gov/industries/lng/indus-act/terminals/lng-approved.pdf

Several potential LNG receiving terminals in OR

•  Coos Bay, Bradwood Landing, & Warrenton

•  Purpose: •  review of public issues, with a focus on Clatsop County/

Columbia River sites •  Bradwood Landing proposed development conflicts

involve the public, local to federal politicians, & local to federal agencies

•  Approach: •  use of public information

•  focus on the local newspaper, the Daily Astorian

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Source: Daily Astorian 3 Mar 2008

!  The proposed Bradwood Landing LNG terminal site is nestled beside a cliff running parallel to U.S. Highway 30. Project developer NorthernStar Natural Gas Inc. has asked Clatsop County for permission to shift the railroad tracks toward the cliff and rezone 5.35 acres of protected wetlands to make room for the 46-acre terminal footprint. The steep, winding Clifton Road would have to be improved to accommodate the $600 million facility. Photo courtesy of FranzsEykel

public opposition to the LNG terminal

•  Daily Astorian has repeatedly come out against the project (and County Commissioners who have supported it) in editorials

•  Numerous letters to the editor; majority in opposition

•  Relatively large numbers have appeared at County Commission and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality meetings to oppose the project; relatively few to support

•  Some meetings have been divided into ‘camps’ of red shirts (LNG opposition) & blue shirts (LNG supporters)

•  In September 2008, a county referendum came out strongly against routing pipelines through park land: 67% vs. 33%.

Brent Foster, the executive director of Columbia Riverkeeper, stakes out a spot on an old piling at the Bradwood industrial site to protest LNG … Photo by ALEX PAJUNAS

•  County Commission has approved siting of a terminal at Bradford Landing location •  The 2009 vote saw strong support by three members,

weak support by one, & strong opposition by one •  resultant local political passion resulted in several

recall attempts, with some success

Geographic themes appearing in the conflict discourse: •  Spatial

•  Scale (Perceptions & Portrayals) •  Location & scale of control (local, state, federal)

•  Structure & agency •  Relations to other lands: public & private •  Spatial differences in costs & benefits (local versus external) •  Access/transportation routes (river, road, & pipeline) •  Cross-boundary issues

•  Human-environment •  Disruption to fisheries •  Landscape &

sense of place •  Environmental quality •  Hazards (safety) •  NIMBY/anti-NIMBY

•  View of proposed Bradwood site: existing, with development, and developed with LNG ship berthed

•  (FERC FEIS •  June 2008)

Conflict beyond the local •  FERC has sole power, under the Natural Gas Act of 1938 & the Energy

Policy Act of 2005, to approve LNG terminals •  Governor, other state officials, & US legislators have objected to LNG

terminals; DEQ permit denials •  Legislators beyond Oregon have objected to control by FERC & outside of

State and local power structure; will attempt to repeal Fed’l law

This story is a cliffhanger"I can’t tell you how it will end •  All I can tell you is that the conflict has involved a number of geographic

themes, and struggle within and across scales of consideration. •  Even the ‘scale’ of development (not the size) has played a role in the

conflict.

!  This graph, based on information provided by NorthernStar, shows the company’s view of where the gas will go. The “other states” include California, Idaho and Nevada. Max Charlton-Daily Astorian

Source: Daily Astorian 6 Mar 2008

•  Bradwood Landing LLC and NorthernStar Energy LLC (NorthernStar Natural Gas affiliates) filed applications with FERC in June 2006 under the Natural Gas Act •  For an LNG import terminal at Bradwood, about 38 mi up the

Columbia River from its mouth •  For a new natural gas pipeline and facilities to connect an

existing interstate pipeline system