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.
Click here to send a message to your legislator.
The passage of this bill would provide Palomar (NW Natural), Oregon LNG, NorthernStar, and the Pacific Connector Pipeline a shortcut in the permitting process, further threatening landowners already facing eminent domain for these speculative energy projects. The bill is currently listed under the title LC 85 and will be considered during a work session next week in the Senate Business and Transportation Committee on Wednesday, January 13th @ 1pm in Hearing Room F at the State Capitol.
What you can do:
Please contact the legislators listed below and your own State Senator and Representative to voice your opposition to this bill. Or, click here to be redirected to a page where you can send an automatic message to your legislators.
We must impress upon the legislature that this is a controversial bill that shouldn’t be considered in a special session designed to remedy the budget crisis in Oregon. We also need to tell them that it is wrong to treat private LNG speculation in the same manner as public projects like roads and sewer lines. Contacting the legislators below is absolutely critical to our success in defeating this bill again.
When you contact these decision makers, tell them:
1) You oppose any bill that would fast-track the permitting process for LNG-related pipelines.
2) LC 85 would be a controversial bill that did not pass in the 2009 session, as HB 3058, and shouldn’t be considered during the special session.
3) At the very least, Senator Metsger’s transportation bill, LC 85, needs to be amended to exclude projects by private corporations. If the permitting for public roadways needs to be facilitated, it can be done without also facilitating private projects as well. It is unacceptable for the state legislature to facilitate the degradation of property rights for the sake of speculative private projects, particularly ones like LNG that Oregon Dept. of Energy says we don’t need.
Important legislators to contact:
-Senate President Peter Courtney, District 11, D: 503-986-1600, sen.petercourtney@state.or.us
-Senate Majority Leader Richard Devlin, District 19, D: 503-986-1719,sen.richarddevlin@state.or.us
-Senator Brian Boquist, District 12, R: 503-986-1712, sen.brianboquist@state.or.us
-Senator Ted Ferrioli, District 30, R: 503-986-1950 or 541-490-6528, sen.tedferrioli@state.or.us
-Senator Metsger, District 26, D: 503-986-1726, sen.rickmetsger@state.or.us
-Senator George, District 13, R: 503-986-1713, sen.larrygeorge@state.or.us
-Senator Schrader, District 20, D: 503-986-1720, sen.marthaschrader@state.or.us
-Senator Starr, District 15, R: 503-986-1715, sen.brucestarr@state.or.us
-Senator Verger, District 5, D: 503-986-1705, sen.joanneverger@state.or.us
-Your own State Senator and Representative: To find out who your own legislators are, you can find out by visiting http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/home.htm and entering your physical address. Then send them a message too!
