LNG, Public Opinion and
Decision-making: Conflict in Oregon
Lisa MB Harrington
Kansas State University
LNG
•  Liquified Natural Gas
•  Natural gas condensed into a liquid by cooling to about -163ºC
•  Reduced to 1/614th of original volume
•  Over long distances (w/o pipelines), cheaper to transport NG in
liquid form
•  Transported by special truck tankers & ocean-going vessels
2
Photos: lngoneworld.com
•  LNG is considered cleaner than coal and petroleumbased fuels, but development also poses issues to be
addressed
•  Fuel transportation
•  Terminal development
•  Safety questions
•  LNG may be seen as continuation of fossil fuel dependence
!  LNG is among the
energy sources that
may be expanded in
the US
Approved North American LNG Terminals
http://www.ferc.gov/industries/lng/indus-act/terminals/lng-approved.pdf
Several potential LNG receiving terminals in OR
•  Coos Bay, Bradwood Landing, & Warrenton
•  Purpose:
•  review of public issues, with a focus on Clatsop County/
Columbia River sites
•  Bradwood Landing proposed development conflicts
involve the public, local to federal politicians, & local
to federal agencies
•  Approach:
•  use of public information
•  focus on the local newspaper, the Daily Astorian
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!
The proposed Bradwood Landing LNG terminal
site is nestled beside a cliff running parallel to
U.S. Highway 30. Project developer
NorthernStar Natural Gas Inc. has asked
Clatsop County for permission to shift the
railroad tracks toward the cliff and rezone 5.35
acres of protected wetlands to make room for
the 46-acre terminal footprint. The steep,
winding Clifton Road would have to be improved
to accommodate the $600 million facility.
Photo courtesy of FranzsEykel
Source: Daily Astorian 3 Mar 2008
public opposition to the LNG terminal
•  Daily Astorian has repeatedly come out
against the project (and County
Commissioners who have supported it) in
editorials
•  Numerous letters to the editor; majority in
opposition
•  Relatively large numbers have appeared at
County Commission and Oregon Department
of Environmental Quality meetings to oppose
the project; relatively few to support
•  Some meetings have been divided into
camps of red shirts (LNG opposition) &
blue shirts (LNG supporters)
•  In September 2008, a county referendum
came out strongly against routing pipelines
through park land: 67% vs. 33%.
Brent Foster, the executive
director of Columbia
Riverkeeper, stakes out a spot
on an old piling
at the Bradwood industrial site
to protest LNG … Photo by
ALEX PAJUNAS
•  County Commission has approved siting of a terminal at
Bradford Landing location
•  The 2009 vote saw strong support by three members,
weak support by one, & strong opposition by one
•  resultant local political passion resulted in several
recall attempts, with some success
Geographic themes appearing in the conflict discourse:
•  Spatial
•  Scale (Perceptions & Portrayals)
•  Location & scale of control (local, state, federal)
•  Structure & agency
•  Relations to other lands: public & private
•  Spatial differences in costs & benefits (local versus external)
•  Access/transportation routes (river, road, & pipeline)
•  Cross-boundary issues
•  Human-environment
•  Disruption to fisheries
•  Landscape &
sense of place
•  Environmental quality
•  Hazards (safety)
•  NIMBY/anti-NIMBY
•  View of
proposed
Bradwood site:
existing, with
development,
and developed
with LNG ship
berthed
•
•
(FERC FEIS
June 2008)
Conflict beyond the local
•  FERC has sole power, under the Natural Gas Act of 1938 & the Energy
Policy Act of 2005, to approve LNG terminals
•  Governor, other state officials, & US legislators have objected to LNG
terminals; DEQ permit denials
•  Legislators beyond Oregon have objected to control by FERC & outside of
State and local power structure; will attempt to repeal Fed l law
This story is a cliffhanger"I can t tell you how it will end
•  All I can tell you is that the conflict has involved a number of geographic
themes, and struggle within and across scales of consideration.
•  Even the scale of development (not the size) has played a role in the
conflict.
!
This graph, based on information
provided by NorthernStar, shows
the company s view of where the
gas will go. The other states
include California, Idaho and
Nevada.
Max Charlton-Daily Astorian
Source: Daily Astorian 6 Mar 2008
•  Bradwood Landing LLC and NorthernStar Energy LLC (NorthernStar
Natural Gas affiliates) filed applications with FERC in June 2006
under the Natural Gas Act
•  For an LNG import terminal at Bradwood, about 38 mi up the
Columbia River from its mouth
•  For a new natural gas pipeline and facilities to connect an
existing interstate pipeline system