This Tuesday an important decision-maker in charge of permitting all new LNG and pipeline projects will be visiting Portland. Jon Wellinghoff, the chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is the key-note speaker at the Green Professionals Conference at the Lloyd Center.  Wellinghoff voted to oppose Bradwood LNG and Jordon Cove LNG, and we want to say Thank You. We will also urge Wellinghoff to move FERC towards including a greenhouse gas emissions and needs analysis in FERC’s environmental review process.This federal commission needs to know that we want climate change to be considered when deciding whether or not to approve new energy projects.

(more…)

To find out how much money your legislator has taken from NW Natural click here.

Within the next few weeks your State Senator and Representative may vote on the reintroduced LNG Fast Track Bill. This bill would undermine landowners’ rights and streamline the permitting process for companies like NW Natural to build LNG-related pipelines in Oregon.

In the last legislative session this bill was stopped in the Senate amidst a swarm of controversy, including NW Natural’s massive campaign contributions to Oregon’s elected officials. But, NW Natural has a vested interest in the passage of this bill to fast-track their proposed Palomar Pipeline and they are using their political sway to push the bill forward in the special session.

According to the Oregonian,

Since the beginning of last year’s election cycle, LNG supporters have marinated lawmakers with cash contributions…To ensure the company [NW Natural] is heard in the Legislature, it spent about $210,000 on campaign contributions since the beginning of 2008.

(more…)

While landowners along the proposed pipeline routes in Oregon have been working to protect their crops from pipeline development, some politicians are selling them out. The LNG fast-track bill, which was defeated last year, has now reemerged and would provide pipeline companies with rights to private lands, without landowners consent. Here is the scoop from Oregon Citizens Against the Pipeline:

In the last legislative session the No-LNG movement worked hard to successfully defeat House Bill 3058, the LNG Fast-track bill. That bill that would have undermined property rights and threatened natural resources by allowing pipeline and utility companies to get permits to fill wetlands on private lands without landowner permission, thereby hastening the permitting process for LNG-related pipelines. Now, Senator Metsger is proposing the same bill for the February Special Session.

(more…)