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Stand up for Oregon - Say "No to LNG!"

Sign our petition calling on Governor Brown to reject LNG in Oregon. The Oregon LNG and Jordan Cove proposals would harm Oregon families with eminent domain, degrade salmon habitat, and increase energy costs. Take action today!

TAKE ACTION:

  1. Call Governor Brown. 503-378-4582. Tell her to reject LNG in Oregon. For more guidance on who to call and what to say, see our calling tip sheet.

  2. Sign on to our letter to Governor Brown.

  3. Tell your friends to take action. Sample social media post to share:

    Tell Governor Brown to stand up for Oregon and say "No to LNG!" Sign this petition today:
    bit.ly/saynotoLNG

Watch this video from the FERC Hearing regarding Oregon LNG in Astoria, Oregon on September 21, 2015:

[youtube]https://youtu.be/eIDi-S8LiPI[/youtube]

BACKGROUND:

Gas Exports Are a Bad Deal for Oregon because:

  • If approved, these projects will be the largest greenhouse gas emitters in the state by 2022[1].
  • Hundreds of private landowners and their families face the threat of eminent domain all along pipeline routes proposed to feed these export terminals. Landowners’ property would be seized not for public benefit, but for the profit of companies seeking to export energy to high-priced overseas markets.
  • LNG tankers require large exclusion zones that would directly impact fisheries and commerce in Coos Bay and the Columbia River. ODFW has stated LNG tankers could be “very disruptive” to Columbia River fishing, and oyster beds in Coos Bay would be harmed by dredging for the Pacific Connector Pipeline.
  • By opening up U.S. gas markets to high-priced overseas markets, domestic rates could increase by as much as 36%-54%, threatening the competitive advantage that domestic manufacturing currently holds.[2] Large-scale LNG exports will negatively impact U.S. manufacturing industries and jobs.
  • Proposed pipelines exacerbate fire risks and burden first responders in rural communities that are struggling to recover from recent forest fires.
  • LNG tankers, storage tanks, and pipelines place the residents of Astoria, Warrenton, North Bend, Coos Bay, and other rural communities at risk. These facilities would be sited in areas at risk for tsunamis, landslides, earthquakes and forest fires, while local governments are simply not equipped to respond to this scale of gas related emergencies.
  • LNG terminal and pipeline proposals would impact hundreds of streams, require extensive dredging in estuary habitat, and pollute clean water that Oregonians cherish, which provides valuable habitat for threatened species including salmon. Pipeline right-of-way clearing would further damage habitat on public and private forests for dozens of threatened species.

Oregon Has the Authority to Reject LNG!
Oregon cannot rely on federal agencies to protect the interests of our people and natural resources. Far from being a just federal matter, the state has extensive authority to protect our lands, waters, wildlife, climate, ratepayers and private landowners from LNG export projects.

  1. The State of Oregon should challenge a likely authorization from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the Jordan Cove and Oregon LNG export terminals. FERC is likely to ignore Oregon’s concerns, and we urge your office to protect Oregon from a broken federal review process.
  1. Oregon’s agencies should use their full authority to protect Oregon by denying permits and other authorizations for LNG export projects. The State of Oregon can and should consider the broader public interest—including but not limited to the health of salmon habitat, safety of local communities, and economic harm of increased energy prices—while considering permits or the use of any state-owned or state-managed resources for LNG export projects.

In coming months, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Department of State Lands (DSL) will consider permits and certifications for building pipelines across hundreds of streams and wetlands as well as massive dredging of sensitive estuary areas. The state has broad authority to deny these applications because the LNG projects and related pipelines are inconsistent with Oregon’s water quality criteria, and the projects are not the best use of our waterways.

In addition to Clean Water Act and state removal-fill permitting, the Department of Land Conservation and Development should take an active role in reviewing the projects for consistency under the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), a critical step in Oregon’s review process. For example, Oregon can act immediately to deny Oregon LNG under the CZMA because the project was already denied in a 5-0 vote by the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners.

  1. Oregon has an opportunity to lead national and international policy on climate change by steering Oregon away from exporting climate-changing fossil fuels like LNG. This is a chance to identify and implement real climate solutions and truly lead the way as a state, in accordance with the State’s climate goals. According to the Oregonian last fall, Jordan Cove's emissions "have a directly contrary effect on our ability to meet our goals.” Angus Duncan, the chair of Oregon's Global Warming Commission, stated: "Whether it's coal exports or LNG, to the extent Oregon has the ability to resist, impede or slow these things down, we should be doing that."

[1] Ted Sickinger,“Jordan Cove LNG in Coos Bay could quickly become one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters in Oregon.” The Oregonian, November 18th, 2014. http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2014/11/jordan_cove_lng_in_coos_bay_co.html

[2] Effects of Increased Natural Gas Exports on Domestic Energy Markets. Rep. U.S. Energy Information Administration, Jan. 2012. Web. 15 Mar. 2015. http://energy.gov/site/prod/file/2013/04/f0/fe_eia_lng.pdf