For over a decade, a Canadian fossil fuel corporation has been attempting to construct a 229-mile liquified natural gas (LNG) pipeline and export terminal called “Jordan Cove.” Construction of the Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline would require a clearcut across fire-prone forests and private lands in southwest Oregon to carry 1.2 billion cubic feet of fracked natural gas per day to the LNG Facility on the North Spit of Coos Bay. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has ruled that the Jordan Cove LNG project is not in the public interest twice already: once in March 2016, and again in December 2016. In 2017, Pembina, the Canadian corporation behind the Jordan Cove project, began filing for FERC consideration again under the pro-energy Trump administration. The FERC released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on March 29, 2019, which provides an environmental assessment of the project and its potential effects. Until July 5, the FERC is considering comments from community members as it finalizes its decision regarding public need for the project.
Urge FERC to deny Natural Gas Act permits for the Jordan Cove LNG Export Terminal and the Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline:
Potential adverse effects of the project demonstrate that it is not in the public interest. The DEIS fails to adequately address adverse effects associated with the project, which include:
- Irreparable harms to the aquatic habitat and coastal communities of Coos Bay due to the proposed dredging, blasting, and under-bay drilling required by the LNG Terminal and Pipeline.
- Undermining of public safety in the Coos Bay region due to the hazards associated with LNG terminals, LNG tanker transit, and natural gas pipelines, including explosions, harmful vapor releases, and spills. The safety risks related to these hazards could be increased exponentially in the event of an earthquake, flood, tsunami, or landslide.
- Potential for significant increase in risks to public safety due to dredging of Coos Bay, which could exacerbate dangerous conditions in the event of a tsunami, earthquake, flood, or landslide.
- Harms to valuable commercial and recreational fisheries in Coos Bay (such as oysters and Dungeness crabs).
- Interference with popular recreational opportunities in Coos Bay, including boating, fishing, surfing, and crabbing.
- Infringement on tribal territories and cultural resources
- Impacted landowner rights, including the potential use of eminent domain for those along the pipeline route.
- Contamination of drinking water for over 150,000 Oregonians due to chemicals used during pipeline construction
- Creation of the largest climate polluter in Oregon, contributing to global climate change
- Damage to farming and fishing industries due to destruction of waterways and permanent loss of critical habitats
- Increased threat of explosion in wildfire-prone residential areas
- Increased domestic prices for LNG consumers by 36-54% due to export, according to estimates by the Department of Energy
Learn More
Organizations and community members are working hard to keep the public informed and involved throughout this complex, lengthy process. For more information and ways to get involved, visit these sites:
The Jordan Cove Pipeline is a terrible idea proposed by a Canadian company to export Canadian methanol and comes at a tremendous cost to our Oregon environment. It would do Irreparable harms to the aquatic habitat and coastal communities of Coos Bay due to the proposed dredging, blasting, and under-bay drilling required by the LNG Terminal and Pipeline. Furthermore, it would undermine public safety in the Coos Bay region due to the hazards associated with LNG terminals, LNG tanker transit, and natural gas pipelines, including explosions, harmful vapor releases, and spills. The safety risks related to these hazards could be increased exponentially in the event of an earthquake, flood, tsunami, or landslide. It would also harm valuable commercial and recreational fisheries in Coos Bay (such as oysters and Dungeness crabs), and Interfere with popular recreational opportunities in Coos Bay, including boating, fishing, surfing, and crabbing. Infringement on tribal territories and cultural resources is another concern of mine.
Landowner rights would also be impacted, including the potential use of eminent domain for those along the pipeline route. The potential for contamination of drinking water for over 150,000 Oregonians due to chemicals used during pipeline construction is another problem, as is the
creation of the largest climate polluter in Oregon, contributing to global climate change. The damage to farming and fishing industries due to destruction of waterways and permanent loss of critical habitats further concerns me, as does the Increased threat of explosion in wildfire-prone residential areas. The Department of Energy also reported that domestic prices for LNG consumers would be increased by 36-54% due to export.
I strongly urge FERC to deny Natural Gas Act permits for the Jordan Cove LNG Export Terminal and the Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline: