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10A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 Warrenton: LNG application under review Use Board of Appeals, as long as the contesting party is a party of record. To build the pipeline, Or- egon LNG must restore to Once the record is closed, city public works standards Kearns will review the staff all streets, trails, drainage Conditions report and testimony and is- facilities and other public Urling’s recommenda- infrastructure disturbed by sue a written decision to the city. The decision is expected tions to approve the terminal the installation. And, be- to arrive by late October. The and pipeline come with mul- fore any site work is done, city will mail the decision to tiple conditions. the company must submit parties of record, and a 14- The terminal portion will the consent of all owners of day appeal period will begin. require, for example, that Or- record for the properties on If the current schedule egon LNG take measures to which the pipeline will be holds, the appeal period will PLWLJDWH WUDI¿F LPSDFW DQG located. end in early to mid-Novem- get those measures approved Besides the city of War- ber. If Kearns’ decision is ap- by the Oregon Department of renton, several federal and pealed, the City Commission Transportation. state agencies are review- will hold a public hearing The company must also ing Oregon LNG’s terminal on the appeal and any code make roadway improve- and pipeline applications, amendments required for the ments to curbs, gutters and including the U.S. Coast requested permits. At the ear- sidewalks near the terminal’s Guard, the U.S. Army Corps liest, the commission hearing location. All discharges to of Engineers, and the Ore- ZLOOWDNHSODFHWKH¿UVWZHHN the city’s shared outfall must gon Departments Transpor- of December. comply with an approved tation, Fish and Wildlife, Whatever decision the permit issued by the state Environmental Quality, and commission makes can be Department of Environmen- Land Conservation and De- appealed to the Oregon Land tal Quality. velopment. Continued from Page 1A Steps backward and forward harmful environmental im- pact could be reduced to OHVVWKDQVLJQL¿FDQW OHYHOV if the company takes certain precautionary steps to protect public safety, water quality DQG¿VKDQGZLOGOLIHKDELWDW In April, the state Land Use Board of Appeals upheld Clatsop County’s 2013 deci- sion to deny Oregon LNG a permit to construct the pipe- line. The county cited, among other concerns, potential safety hazards for residents, FRQÀLFWV ZLWK DTXDWLF ]RQH standards, and the risk of ³IUDFRXWV´²WR[LFÀXLGHV- capes — during underground pipeline construction as rea- sons for the denial. Though the Oregon LNG project has been lurching forward, any number of fac- tors could kill it. Earlier this summer, Or- egon LNG faced a setback when a federal magistrate judge dismissed the compa- ny’s challenge to an Army Corps of Engineers ease- ment on the Skipanon Pen- insula. The judge ruled that the statute of limitations to bring the claim under federal law had expired, leaving the company — for the moment anyway — without a War- renton site to build on. But shortly thereafter, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission released a fa- vorable draft environmental review of the project that concludes Oregon LNG’s Promises and precaution Oregon LNG argues that the project would bring millions of dollars in new annual tax rev- enues into Clatsop County and create thousands of construc- tion and operating jobs. Even if these claims are true, however, opponents ar- gue the costs outweigh the EHQH¿WV “It threatens the health and safety and peace of mind of everyone in Clatsop Coun- ty, but especially those in Warrenton and Hammond. That anyone would place what is essentially a potential bomb — this natural gas ter- minal — in a residential area, is bad enough. But they want to build it on sand, which is RQ WRS RI ¿OO LQ D VXEGXF- tion earthquake and tsunami ]RQH´&DSODQVDLG³,WGH¿HV common sense.” Representatives from Oregon LNG could not be reached for comment.. Wyden: Senator learns of Astoria: City Council obstacles foster kids face is expected to approve the resolution on LNG Continued from Page 1A Continued from Page 1A LaMear said she is not just concerned about residents, but about the Columbia Riv- HU ³DQG WKH ¿VKHUPHQ DQG the shipping industry and the cruise ships and the recre- ational boaters and the Coast Guard.” The draft environmental review found that the LNG SURMHFW ZRXOG QRW VLJQL¿- FDQWO\ LPSDFW YHVVHO WUDI¿F on the river and would have minimal impacts on commer- FLDO DQG UHFUHDWLRQDO ¿VKLQJ but many, like LaMear, are VNHSWLFDO RI WKH ¿QGLQJV DQG IRUHVHHXQDYRLGDEOHFRQÀLFWV Burn ban: Event prices have been adjusted in light of changes Continued from Page 1A Flame-free family fun The battles and gunpowder play may be scrapped, but the Civil War living history will carry on full-bore, Jim Munson, the event coordinator, said. “It should still be lots of fun. We hope the public will still come and support and en- gage with us and have a good time,” he said. “There’s still a lot to learn and a lot to see and do.” Spectators and Civil War buffs can still look forward to hearing music of the war and enjoying a cavalry demon- stration, an Abraham Lincoln impersonator, Union and Confederate medical demon- strations, a Sunday church service, daily battalion dress parades and other activities at recreated military and civilian campsites. The Civil War event at Fort Stevens is among the largest for both the council and the park. Around 800 re-enac- tors spread out over 7 acres, set up canvas tents, dress in period clothing and uniforms and present life as Americans lived it in Virginia and Penn- sylvania circa 1863. Event prices have been ad- justed in light of the changes: The main gate prices have been reduced to $15 per car (which includes the $5 day- use fee); the bicycle gate price is now $3 per person 12 and older; and families of four or more now pay $10. “We’re going to make ev- ery effort to get down there and put on a great show,” Munson said. For more information, visit www.nwcwc.org or the Face- book page at Civil War Ore- gon. Astoria city councilor LaMear, Price and others are concerned about descrip- tions in the environmental review of Tongue Point as a contractor and pipe storage yard during project construc- tion. The worry is that hun- dreds of heavy trucks would rumble through Astoria with construction loads. “It’s a sense of the commu- nity,” Price said of the resolu- tion. “And that’s all we can do. It’s the best we can do. And it’s what we must do.” ANNUAL Cu st om e r Appre c ia tion KS very often. We’ve got some QHZ PRPHQWXP WR ¿[ WKHVH concerns that these young people are talking about.” — Drew Herzig Not unanimous The City Council is ex- pected to approve the resolu- tion, but the vote will not be unanimous. City Councilor Russ Warr, who intends to vote against the resolution, said he wished people who op- pose Oregon LNG cited “real reasons” instead of what he considers questionable claims about the environ- ment and public safety. While an explosion last year at an LNG storage tank near the Columbia River in eastern Washington state fueled safety fears, the LNG industry, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, has a strong safety record. Warr believes many op- ponents simply “think it’s going to look ugly.” “Most of the reasons are totally emotional,” he said. “And, in my opinion, most of them are not substantiated by science.” F something done here. And getting it done in the fall. I think we’ve got an opportu- nity that doesn’t come along ‘I think humanity needs to do everything possible to move away from fossil fuels, to avoid catastrophic climate change.’ City Councilor Drew Herzig had opposed an LNG project in Warrenton during his successful run for the council in 2012. “I’m still of that opinion,” he said in an email. “I think humanity needs to do everything possi- ble to move away from fossil fuels, to avoid catastrophic climate change. “I am glad Mayor LaMear put this resolution on the agenda, and I look forward to the council discussing it.” City Councilor Zetty Nemlowill said the coun- cil needs to look carefully at whether the resolution is a legally sound method of expressing the city’s oppo- sition. “In my opinion the risks of an LNG facility outweigh SRWHQWLDO HFRQRPLF EHQH¿WV and I don’t think most peo- ple in Astoria want to see the project happen,” she said in a text. S AC SN K E EN T C A R ESH M FosterClub Executive Director Celeste Bodner was selected as Wyden’s 2015 Congressional Coalition Adoption Institute “Angels in Adoption” honoree. Q: What is the purpose of today’s visit? Bodner: We work with Sen. Wyden a lot in Washington, D.C., so his office called last week and asked if they could visit our office. The senator nominated me for an award. Part of this is recognizing that. The other is, he has just introduced a potentially landmark bill that will improve how services are offered for kids in foster care, and he’s going to talk to some of our young people about that.” Q: Have you worked with Sen. Wyden before? A: We bring young leaders to Washington, D.C., to help inform public policy. He’s been meeting with young leaders for 10 years. We have a great relationship with his office. Q: How does the Family Stability and Kinship Care act work? A: The federal financing structure has been broken for a long time, and the way federal funding has come down has caused a hardship to young people, in that federal funding didn’t kick in until kids entered foster care. And stopped the minute they left foster care. This new bill would make funding more flexible and allow states to use federal funding to prevent kids from needing to go into foster care in the first place, and also provide services after they leave foster care to adoption or a legal guardianship. This would provide support to these kids, too. Q: What kind of preventive services are you proposing, and why is that important? A: We believe reducing the number of kids entering foster care, if we can provide services for the family, if the family is struggling with homelessness, or addiction, or mental health, to provide upfront services to the family so the child doesn’t have to experience the trauma of going into a foster home. If we reduce the number of kids who come into foster care the system, we will have more capacity to manage those kids and put them in good, healthy places. Q: How often do you go to Washington, D.C.? A: I live in Seaside, and I go to Washington, D.C., about 12-15 times a year. Q: Do you think the Family Stability and Care Act will pass? A: As advocates we’ve been pressing for something like this for five or six years, there’s been a big drumbeat for it a lot of national advocates are really pressing for it. We’re very pleased to have Sen. Wyden in such a strong position. H O BUR T D G ER S OG S FOSTERCLUB, WYDEN WORK TOGETHER Political message The resolution, which could go before the City Council next Tuesday, is also crafted to send a political message. The resolution will likely urge all local, state and federal decision-makers to reject the project. City Councilor Cindy Price hopes the resolution PLJKW KHOS LQÀXHQFH *RY Kate Brown and U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., to come out against Oregon LNG. “And as we know from Bradwood Landing, if the community makes it very clear that they don’t want a project like this, it goes away,” Price said of a pro- posed LNG project east of Astoria that failed in 2010 DIWHUKLWWLQJ¿QDQFLDOUHJXOD- tory and political roadblocks. In April, the City Council voted unanimously in favor of a motion to intervene in the Federal Energy Regula- tory Commission’s review of the project even though the public comment period had expired. The city had taken a similar step during the debate over Bradwood Landing. “This is why we’re elect- ed,” Price said, “is to stand up and give a bigger voice to our constituents on these big issues.” HAM R.J. Marx/The Daily Astorian FosterClub grads and volunteers with Sen. Ron Wyden, and wife Nancy, center left. The Vernonia City Coun- cil, which also has no reg- ulatory role in the project, passed a resolution in May opposing the project. Oregon LNG wants to build an export terminal on the Skipanon Peninsula in Warrenton and an 87-mile pipeline connecting the ter- minal with a natural gas line in Washington state. The Federal Energy Reg- ulatory Commission’s draft environmental review con- cludes the project can offset environmental and safety concerns, but several feder- al, state and local agencies are still vetting potential im- pacts. RE Ashley Foster, who spent four years in Oregon’s foster system, said foster children face obstacles setting up bank DFFRXQWVEXGJHWDQG¿QDQFH “Identifying the problems we have is an important place to start,” she said. “We get labeled,” Foster said. “We have to fall into a category to receive medica- tion. I’m a mother of three, and every time I’ve gone in to give birth, they bring up my past medical history. It’s very upsetting.” Elbert Belcher spent 21 years in Kentucky’s foster care system. He urged pre- ventive services, including counseling, transportation and assistance for families and parents on board to take be- fore children are placed into the foster care system. “I’d like to focus on the sibling connection,” Belcher said. “I haven’t seen my two younger brothers for six or seven years because they’ve been readopted after our un- fortunate abusive adoption. I think it’s inhumane not to have communication with your siblings if they’ve been adopted in a closed adoption. “With anyone in this room, UHJDUGOHVVLILW¶VD¿YHVWDUKR- tel, a garbage bag for luggage, D EHG RQ WKH ÀRRU LI ZH IHHO a part of something, or valued in some way, we’ll see better outcomes,” he added. Others told Wyden about frequent placements, bully- ing, abuse from some foster families and lack of con- tact with overburdened case workers, many of whom are untrained in youth engage- ment. “I think there’s a powerful moral case for every young- ster to be able to have a safe option in these kind of situa- tions,” Wyden said. “Even if you don’t share my idea for the morality, you should be for what we’re talking about because it is so much more at- WUDFWLYH ¿QDQFLDOO\ WKDQ ZKDW we’re going to pay for picking up the pieces, in the welfare system, the law enforcement system, post-traumatic stress and drug addiction. “I think there are now Democrats and Republicans who are prepared to say that,” Wyden said. “There’s an ex- cellent possibility of getting P ICNIC S ATURDAY, S EPT. 19 1 1 AM -2PM a t Ba yshore Anim a l H ospita l BAY SH O R E A N G EL FU N D Q u ilt R a ff le w ill ta k e pla ce Tick ets a re $1 ea . a t h betw een n ospita l ow a N eed n o t b n d Sept. 19th e p re sen t to w in P erfect fo r La b ra d o r lo vers o r h u n ters 325 S E M ARLIN AVEN UE, W ARREN TO N 503-861-1621 ba yshorea n im a lca re.com