Oregon Court Rejects Columbia River LNG Application

BY ROB MANNING
Oregon Public Broadcasting
Portland, OR April 13, 2010 2:41 p.m.

Oregon’s land use court has again rejected an application for a liquefied natural gas terminal on the Columbia River. Bradwood Landing’s proposal returns to Clatsop County again.

The Land Use Board of Appeals agreed with project opponents that Bradwood Landing is bigger than supporters suggest. And LUBA wasn’t satisfied with certain fishing protections.

Columbia RiverKeeper director, Brett VandenHeuvel applauds the ruling: “This is just one more blow to the project – now they have nothing.”

The project does have siting approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission – though River Keeper and the state of Oregon have sued over that.

Joe Desmond is with the company behind the project. He says opponents are mischaracterizing the land use board’s decision: “They have narrowed down a couple of issues and asked for clarity.”

But the ruling is at least a speed bump. The last time LUBA sent the project back to Clatsop County officials, Desmond said the local hurdles would be cleared by the time federal scientists finished their analysis of it.

Now, Desmond says he’s not sure that will still be the case.

http://news.opb.org/article/oregon-court-rejects-columbia-river-lng-application/