community news State Appeals Board Denies LNG Project Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals Upholds Clatsop County’s Decision Denying Gas Pipeline for LNG Terminal LUBA’s decision comes after years of legal wrangling by the LNG company. In October 2013, the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 to reject the Oregon LNG pipeline. A state appeals board agreed The County Commissioners concluded with Clatsop County’s decision that a that Oregon LNG’s proposed 41-mile liquefied natural gas (LNG) pipeline long, high-pressure gas pipeline violated would threaten public safety and the county’s land use laws on dozens improperly harm protected rivers and of grounds. Oregon LNG claimed the Commissioners were biased, but the farmland. On April 29 the Oregon Land Oregon Court of Appeals rejected that Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) ruled in argument. The Oregon LNG company favor of Clatsop County, upholding the County’s decision to deny a key permit proposes building an LNG terminal for the Oregon LNG pipeline. Without in Warrenton, Oregon, and exporting the critical land use permit, the proposed North American natural gas to overseas LNG pipeline cannot be built, as state markets. Among the project’s many law prohibits the LNG company from impacts, the company proposes securing state environmental permits or dredging a massive hole that spans certifications without county land use 135 acres of the Columbia River in Youngs Bay — roughly the size of 102 permits. “We are thrilled that LUBA football fields — for a turning basin to chose to respect our county’s decision accommodate LNG tankers that would to deny Oregon LNG’s proposed dock at the terminal. This area is the natural gas export pipeline,” said Laurie heart of what has historically been the Caplan, an Astoria resident and local most popular sport and commercial activist representing Columbia Pacific salmon fishing area on the Columbia River. Oregon LNG’s dredging alone Common Sense. In the decision, LUBA ruled would destroy critical habitat for twelve that Clatsop County properly decided stocks of endangered and threatened that the LNG pipeline violates local salmon and steelhead. The project laws designed to protect public safety also requires taking private property and salmon. The County found that using eminent domain to build the gas the pipeline operates with pressurized pipeline from the United States-Canada flammable and explosive gases that border to Warrenton. The LUBA decision is the present a well-documented safety risk to nearby residential uses. The County latest setback for the struggling LNG also found that Oregon LNG’s plans company. In August 2014, Oregon LNG to bore the pipeline under salmon- filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Army bearing rivers violated the requirement Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) over to protect the Columbia River estuary, a property dispute. The Army Corps an area at the center of regional and claims that it owns permanent rights national efforts to recover endangered to use the site of the proposed LNG terminal. If a federal court upholds the salmon. A free conversation with play activists Jonathan Blasher and Tara Doherty “Today’s decision marks a Army Corps’ property right, Oregon significant turning point for LNG on LNG cannot build the terminal. Tuesday, April 21 the Columbia River,” stated Brett 6:30 pm at the Vernonia Library Currently, there are two VandenHeuvel, Executive Director for proposals to locate LNG facilities on the Research shows that play and physical activity can have positive effects on  Columbia Riverkeeper. “The people of Oregon Coast and the Columbia River, children’s health, well-being, and education; they also boost health and  coupled with associated proposals to Clatsop County want clean water, safe creativity in adults. What is the value of play? Please note: this session will  communities, and strong salmon runs. construct hundreds of miles of new include interactive play for all levels of ability. natural gas pipelines throughout Oregon LNG development would take us in the Blasher and Doherty are both from Playworks, a Portland-based national  and Washington. wrong direction.” nonprofit that transforms schools by providing play and physical activity at  The Power of Play: Promoting Health and Creativity recess throughout the school day. Guns in America: Exploring the Second Amendment A free conversation with Reed College professor Pancho Savery Wednesday, May 20 6:30 pm at the Vernonia Library The topics of gun violence, gun control, and the right to bear arms are  constantly in the news. The Second Amendment guarantees Americans the  freedom to own guns. Why wasn’t this freedom incorporated into the First  Amendment, along with freedom of the press, speech, religion, and right of  assembly? What special circumstances made the freedom to own guns  important enough to merit its own amendment? Savery is professor of English, humanities, and American studies at Reed  College, where he teaches courses in American literature post-1850, African  American literature, and modern and contemporary American and European  drama. For the past twelve years, he has worked with Oregon Humanities on  the Humanity in Perspective program. This program is made possible by the generous support of Oregon Humanities, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Oregon Cultural Trust. Hosted by the Friends of the Vernonia Public Library and the Vernonia Library Board. For more information, contact Shannon Romtvedt at (503) 429-1818 or shannonr@vernonia-or.go v may7 County Commissioners continued from front page safety of pipelines and the gas industry, the lack of transparency by the project’s financial backers, and the responsibility of the Commissioners to look out for the welfare and common good of the citizens of Columbia County. The Commissioners also dis- cussed Ballot Measure 5-243, which would increase the Natural Resources Depletion tax (and specifically targets the gravel industry in the county) to provide revenue to maintain county roads and fund the Columbia County Rider public transportation system. Lo- cal business owner Mike Pihl told the Commissioners and the audience that if the increase passes it would impact his business and he might be forced to purchase rock for road building from Washington County instead of support- ing local Columbia County businesses. “We need to exercise common sense and I’m going to vote no on it,” said Pihl. Hyde told the audience that Co- lumbia County is the only county in the state that taxes aggregate, which cur- rently funds road maintenance. Hyde said he is very concerned about setting a precedent of taxing a specific industry when the county has a compelling need. “There is no doubt in my mind that we have a compelling need,” said Hyde. “I think our transit system and the way it serves our citizens and particularly our senior citizens, is an important issue for us. We do have to find a way to be re- sponsible enough to fund it. But just to go after an industry because there is an opportunity to tax them on what they produce, I think is very dangerous. What’s next-timber?” 2015 7 Heimuller and Fisher agreed with Hyde. Heimuller stated that he is in favor of road projects and that he has a passion for public transit. When asked how they fund the transportation system if the bal- lot measure is rejected, Heimuller said many public transit systems are funded through a special tax district and tax all property owners to pay for operations. Others use a business tax on all busi- nesses. Heimuller did not expound on other options for funding public transit. When asked about a proposed moratorium on marijuana dispensaries in Columbia County, Commissioner Hyde explained that the County is wait- ing for the state to establish guidelines for where retail marijuana sales will be allowed. “We’re not trying to stop marijuana consumption in Columbia County,” said Hyde. “The people of this state have spoken, on both medi- cal marijuana in the 1990s and on rec- reational last year.” Hyde went on to say that they have heard complaints about grow operations from neighbor- ing properties. Hyde said a temporary moratorium on medical dispensaries and retail establishments would allow time for the state to formulate specific guidelines and doesn’t impact the 975 medical marijuana card holders or the 768 licensed medical marijuana grow- ers in the county. Hyde confirmed that the county moratorium only effects unincorporated areas of the county. Hyde added that the state is considering dispensing marijuana through liquor stores.