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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2015)
january1 2015 VERNONIA’S volume9 issue1 www.vernoniasvoice.com free reflecting the spirit of our community DEQ Public Comment Period on Oregon LNG Project Ends Jan. 17 th By Scott Laird and Brett Costley formation on a date and location is cur- rently available. Purcell said there is The Oregon Department of a possibility that the comment period, Environmental Quality (DEQ) has which will most likely end before the initiated a 60-day comment period for informational meeting is a 401 Water Quality Certification for held, may be extended. the proposed Oregon Liquified Natural The DEQ pro- Gas (OLNG) pipeline project which cess could end up being is planned to pass near Vernonia. The moot as the Oregon Court comment period began on November 18, of Appeals, on December 2014 and ends on January 17, 2015. 17, upheld the process The proposed project includes a by which Clatsop County bidirectional liquefied natural gas termi- commissioners rejected a nal located in Warrenton, OR along with land-use application for an eighty-six-mile natural gas pipeline construction of the pipe- which will travel through Clatsop, Tilla- line and terminal. The mook, and Columbia counties, crossing County Commission the Columbia River near Deer Island and initially approved the continuing into Washington State. pipeline, but new Com- According to Jennifer Purcell of missioners reversed that DEQ NW Region and the North Coast decision. The Commissioners rejection Regional Solutions Team, DEQ will post was appealed by project supporters but a public notice for informational meet- has now been upheld by the Court of Ap- ings to be held in late January, 2015, in peals, putting the future of the project in Astoria and Vernonia, although no in- jeopardy. DEQ is currently reviewing applications for air and water quality permits associated with the proposed facility and pipe- line and will specifically evalu- As of December 15, 2014 ate the project under Section 401 the Vernonia Alumni Sports Initiative has of the federal Clean Water Act to raised over $75,000 through contributions determine whether proposed ac- by 165 alumni. A year-end appeal, mailed on tivities will comply with Oregon November 24, has generated $16,440 thus far. water quality standards. The ap- One year ago the Sports Initiative had plication’s scope potentially af- reached the $50,000 level with 130 alumni fects waterways and wetlands in Clatsop, Tillamook, and Colum- contributing. When combined with the Gary Davis bia counties. Memorial ($4,000), the Class of 73 Give Back About forty-four miles of Bash ($10,000), the local match for the OSAA the proposed pipeline is in the grant for the football practice field ($10,000), the Sports Initiative is just shy of $100,000 being contributed for athletic facilities during the past two years. Alumni Sports Initiative Update inside 8 another round 10 vhs winter sports report 12 legislative update 15 celebrating families 2014 Nehalem River watershed. According to Purcell there will be multiple opportunities for the public to provide comments to DEQ throughout the permitting process. “For permit ap- plications associated with this proposed facility, DEQ has hosted or plans to host informal public information meet- ings,” said Purcell in an email response to questions about DEQ’s project review process. “These meetings are typically held at the beginning of the permitting process to further explain the process and discuss at a high-level what DEQ is evaluating specific to the permit(s) in question. Public information meet- ings also provide an opportunity for the public to ask questions related to the permit(s) in question and the associated process.” Purcell says that after permits are drafted, there will be another oppor- tunity for the public to comment. “DEQ will hold formal public hearings to so- licit comments specific to the permit(s) in question. Public hearings and testi- mony received informs permitting and becomes part of the permanent record,” said Purcell. Natural gas will be transported to and from the Warrenton Terminal via a thirty- six inch diameter pipeline. The Pipeline will interconnect with the interstate transmission sys- tem of Northwest Pipeline GP near Woodland, Washington. According to the OLNG web- site, the pipeline is primarily intended to transport natural gas from Canada and will be com- pressed to liquid natural gas in Warrenton and then exported to Asia. It can, with demand, flow in the opposite direction, but this is not the expected use. The route of the pipeline shows it crossing the Nehalem River north of Highway 26 on Route 103. The pipeline would also cross Cedar Creek (a tributary to the Nehalem River) about 1 mile west (upstream) of the Vernonia Airport. Data on this stream crossing notes it would be a “Cut and Cover” (trench through stream) with high landslide risk and lists Coho as en- dangered fish. The route also shows the pipe- line crossing Rock Creek between Flack and Burn Roads and crossing the Ne- halem River and Highway 47 North of Pittsburg. An electrically driven gas com- pressor station would be constructed at milepost 80.8 of the pipeline, 1.2 miles continued on page 6 Three Scouts Complete Projects and Apply for Rank of Eagle Scout Three local emergency services Boy Scouts have all while using the trail completed projects and close to Vernonia. been recommended Eyrrick received for the rank of Eagle support for printing Scout. of the brochure from Bradley Ely, the Vernonia Area Jacob Eyyrick, and Chamber of Commerce Jeffrey Goodman are and has installed boxes all awaiting notification to hold the brochure at from the Boy Scouts the Anderson Park and of America National Vernonia Lake trail Organization that they heads. have been accepted as Jeff Goodman Eagle Scouts. converted the basement All three have of the Grace Family completed projects Fellowship Church Jacob Eyrrick and Nicholas Welch of the Vernonia which benefit the into a usable space by Area Chamber of Commerce. Vernonia community. organizing a work party and also develop and install several Brad Ely to spread gravel for constructed and repaired interpretive new ones. There are now eighteen drainage, protect the building furnace signs around Vernonia Lake and interpretive signs installed. and create storage space. Goodman Jacob Eyrrick led a along the Webb Way Linear Trail. completed the work last spring. Many of the signs had been installed committee which designed and All three scouts are expected as part of a previous Eagle Scout published a visitors guide to Vernonia to hear about the status of their Eagle Project. Ely raised funds, purchased for travelers using the Linear Trail. rank by the end of January. supplies, and organized work crews The brochure was created to help For more photos turn to page 7. to repair and re-install several signs hikers, bikers and other trail users find