Concerned citizens rap facility on Columbia River at public meeting; Northern Star Natural Gas submitted ‘notice of intent’KNAPPA – The liquefied natural gas facility permitting process kicked off Thursday night, as residents of Wahkiakum, Wash. and Clatsop counties voiced a wide range of concerns to representatives of the state and federal energy agencies and to the project’s developer, Northern Star Natural Gas.

The Oregon Department of Energy has received a “notice of intent” from Northern Star, which proposed building an LNG receiving terminal at Bradwood, a site northwest of Wauna and across the Columbia River from Puget Island.

Four companies have proposed LNG terminals along the lower Columbia, and Northern Star was the first to file with the state agency. To start its months-long permitting process, the energy department held a public informational meeting at Knappa High School.

The meeting served to give members of the public details about the state and federal permitting process, said Cathy Van Horn, the project manager with the state energy agency. It was also a chance for the agencies to hear from local residents and get local knowledge that will help officials decide what issues the company needs to address in its application.

“We’re looking for comments that will help us,” Van Horn told an audience of approximately 230.

Ted Messing addresses the audience at the Oregon Department of Energy-sponsored meeting in Knappa Thursday night.

KATE RAMSAYER-The Daily AstorianMany people from Washington’s Puget Island and Cathlamet, plus Clatsop County, had concerns for the agencies and energy company officials to consider.

“This LNG facility does not fit on the lower Columbia, and we don’t need it,” said Brownsmead’s Ted Messing at the start of the public comment period. The facility would be built in a culturally significant area, disrupt the railway line, disturb fish and wildlife with the associated dredging, and bring with it the potential for a major accident, he said.

Tammy Maygra of Save our Columbia River raised the issue of the danger associated with bringing ships over the Columbia River Bar, and the potential economic impact on the area fisheries.

INFO.BOXComments on the Northern Star Natural Gas Notice of Intent are due to the Oregon Department of Energy by June 19. Mail comments or questions to Cathy Van Horn, 625 Marion St. SE, Salem OR 97302; call (503) 378-4041; fax to (503) 373-7806; or e-mail

(catherine.vanhorn@state.or.us)Puget Island residents decried the potential impacts to their community. Many houses on the island would be within a mile of the proposed facility, and within view of it as well.

“Most of the liabilities fall to Wahkiakum,” said Puget Island resident Carol Carver, who added that the tax benefits touted by the company would go to residents of Knappa and other Clatsop County communities. She asked that Wahkiakum County’s land-use and shoreline planning rules be taken into consideration during the permitting process.

DiAnne Knudsen of Cathlamet said that the proposed LNG facility would be close to the Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge and the Julia Butler Hanson National Wildlife Refuge, and brought up concerns that the LNG shipping traffic and the facility would harm the endangered animals living there.

“We cannot allow this to happen in a protected national wildlife refuge,” Knudsen said.

Other island residents brought up issues of noise and light pollution, dredge spoil disposal, geologic instabilities, and the safety concerns associated with living less than a mile from the facility.

A handful of people spoke up in support of the facility.

Union business agent Bob Randolph said Northern Star had approached Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council and the Oregon Building Trades Council to work out a preliminary agreement to use union labor, one of the first he knew of to do that.

Knappa’s Ben Bartlett said the project would bring good jobs and clean energy and add to the tax base. “We don’t get opportunities like this. Think about it carefully,” he said.

The energy department’s Van Horn opened the meeting by describing the agency’s permitting process. After reviewing Northern Star’s notice of intent, and the comments from the public, the department will give the company a project order that describes what issues it should address in its application. After the company submits an application, which Northern Star expects to do in September, the energy agency will submit a draft proposed order. The public can comment on that as well.

Ultimately, the decision about whether to approve the siting of the facility is made by the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council, and based on a set of standards that the company has to show it can adhere to.

These standards are what the public should address when they make comments, Van Horn said.

Paul Friedman, the environmental project manager with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, also addressed the crowd. Northern Star has started the pre-filing process with FERC, and the federal agency will hold its own public scoping meeting in the future.

Northern Star officials made a presentation about their project at the meeting.

“We’re here to listen to you, and will be listening to you for the coming months,” said Northern Star Chief Executive Officer Si Garrett. The company will try to mitigate concerns and make changes in its plans where it can, he said.

The company will try to exceed the standards set for the project, said Gary Coppedge, vice president for permitting and development. The facility will take up 55 acres of a 420-acre parcel of land, and consist of two LNG storage tanks with the possibility of adding a third, as well as a regasification facility. It’s needed because there’s a shortage of natural gas in the Pacific Northwest that is driving prices up, he said.

Northern Star’s project will create 500 construction jobs, and the company will set up special endowments or scholarships to train local people to work at the facility, he said.

“We would like this to benefit the community here, in both Oregon and Washington,” Coppedge said.