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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 27, 2016)
10A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016 LNG: Pipeline remains a sticking point Continued from Page 1A impact of the proposed $6 billion project on state waters. In addition, the department noted that Oregon LNG’s appli- cations lacked evidence that the project is compatible with local land use rules. Last year, the state Land Use Board of Appeals upheld Clatsop County’s 2013 decision to deny a permit for Oregon LNG’s pipeline that would link to an export terminal on the peninsula. “Your county’s decision to not approve that pipeline is really the biggest stumbling block that they have right now. That’s the big barrier to a complete application at this point,” Ryan said. “If we don’t have that approval, we can’t issue a permit, nor can we deny one, because we don’t have a complete application.” ‘Keep pushing’ Since it appears the pipeline will remain a sticking point for the company into the foreseeable future, Laurie Caplan, of Astoria, asked the panel: “Why are you and other state agencies having to spend so much time and talent and energy to process an application for a project that, as of now, can’t go forward because there is no pipeline?” Ryan replied that there’s nothing in state statute that says a person or organization can’t apply for a land use permit. “We get applications for incomplete projects pretty frequently,” he said. “Energy companies have a very, very long business plan and time frame, so their MO is to keep pushing, keep pushing, keep pushing until something gives,” he continued, “and so we anticipate we will continue to get applications until who knows.” If Oregon LNG manages to resolve the local land use issue and submits complete appli- cations, the department would then send them out for public review. Citizens and regulatory agencies on the local, state and federal levels would examine the applications while the department does a technical review. “Honestly, we rely upon the public and our sister agencies to review those application materials,” Ryan said, adding that the state departments of environmental quality DQG RI ¿VK DQG ZLOGOLIH SOD\ major roles. “And, of course, something like an LNG terminal and pipeline application gets a lot more scrutiny than a small individual driveway expansion or something like that.” If the department rejects Oregon LNG’s applications, the company could challenge the decision in court. What’s more, if Oregon LNG is eventually granted a license to operate by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, it’s possible that the federal agency could override the adverse decisions by local and state agencies. “There is an issue of federal pre-emption of local environ- mental regulations,” Ryan said. “That is a potential path that I’m sure the applicants are looking at.” “I can tell you: That’s not something that we would support,” he continued. “And we would really want to avoid that happening, as would the JRYHUQRU¶VRI¿FH´ The company would have to demonstrate, however, that the local environmental regulations place an unreasonable burden on them, and “there’s pretty well-established case law that states do have the ability to regulate for environmental concerns and environmental issues,” he said. Bay and Medford, to record public testimony. “I would expect us to do something similar to that if we do get completed applications for Oregon LNG,” Castelli said. Cheryl Johnson — an activist who has helped lead the charge against Oregon LNG and its previous incarnations for more than a decade — told the panel that Oregon LNG’s opponents stand in solidarity with Coos Bay. She asked the department to deny the permits for Jordan Cove, which would set a precedent “for our community and our river,” she said. “We are tired of going to meetings. And we are tired of giving testimony. And we are Standing in solidarity Right now, the Department tired of writing letters. And we of State Lands is reviewing have met with every local and land use permit applications for state and federal agency for 10 another controversial project: years,” she said. Johnson added that she the Jordan Cove LNG terminal DQG 3DFL¿F &RQQHFWRU *DV expects the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to Pipeline in Coos Bay. The department — which has grant Oregon LNG authoriza- until Feb. 8 to decide whether to tion to operate on the Skipanon issue the permits — held two Peninsula. The company is well-attended meetings, in Coos also awaiting a decision from Daniel Kearns, a Portland land use attorney appointed by Warrenton to review local land use applications. “We have played by the rules. We have done everything correctly. We have participated fully, intelligently, articulately, over and over and over. Do not leave us in this situation,” she said. Reminding the crowd that the department is still waiting for Oregon LNG to resubmit the permit applications, Ryan responded: “We play by the rules also. And we have really VSHFL¿F UXOHV WKDW ZH QHHG WR play by, and that’s what we’ve been doing all along.” “I’ve heard, ‘Do the right thing, do the right thing, do the right thing.’ And, for me, within my job, ‘doing the right thing’ means to implement the laws of the state of Oregon to the best of my ability,” he continued. “So that’s what I’m doing. That’s what we do, and we’re operating within the legal framework that we have to work within. I can commit to doing that.” Pier 2: Port of Astoria is trying to extend pier’s life Continued from Page 1A Leon, responsible for making a computerized drawing of Pier 2, said the shrill cracks are what they hope to hear, indicating the pilings underneath the pier are still solid. “If they’re rotten, they sound more like a drum,” he said. Cain said inspectors also measure the impedance of each piling using a resistor graph, with less resistance indicating rot in the wood pilings. The focus on Pier 2, he said, is because of the open access that makes it a public route. Robert Evert, a permit and project manager with the Port, said the agency hopes to use the state’s engineering report to help staff prioritize repairs needed on Pier 2, which at 101 years old has a lot of issues but still holds up much of the region’s seafood processing industry, along with hundreds of workers. Fix before fail “One of the things that we’re trying to get away from is, unfortunately, the status quo of decades past is ‘Well, we’ll just run it until it fails, and then get a grant to repair it,’” Evert said. “This way, we’re actually keeping up on the maintenance, extending the service life and, overall, reducing our operational costs, because we’re repairing things before they fail.” The need for a current engineering report on Pier 2 is fresh in the mind of the Port. Two years ago, the agency secured a $1 million ConnectOregon IV infrastructure grant to build a new dock on the eastern side of Pier 2. But the Port nearly lost the grant after a gross under- estimation by engineers on the cost of the project. The grant was saved, and the Port has a brand-new dock on Pier 2, albeit an empty one. rotten wood and replacing it with metal pan decking topped by concrete, which Evert said will extend the life of the surface for another 25 to 30 years. marine engineer Bill Gunderson of PND Engineers Inc. of Seattle to report on its condition. “Overall, the condition of the Pier 2 West facility was found to range from critical to good FRQGLWLRQ PDQ\ RI WKH GH¿- ciencies observed appear to be Fixing for ¿shing The engineering report due to deferred maintenance,” comes as the Port is trying Gunderson’s report said. Gunderson’s engineering to secure another state grant, &RQQHFW2UHJRQ 9, WR ¿[ WKH report, much like the Department ailing west side of Pier 2, where of Transportation’s now, was FRPPHUFLDO¿VKLQJERDWVSXOOXS meant to help Port staff prioritize to the dock alongside the Port’s ¿[HV7KH3RUWHQGHGXSVKLIWLQJ Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian A member of the state Department of Transportation ORQJ¿VKSURFHVVLQJZDUHKRXVH around seafood cranes and bridge inspection team works during their inspection of to deliver their catch. blocking access to particularly The dock they deliver to weak spots. Pier 2 Tuesday, belies Pier 2’s importance to Now the Port is asking the Separate of any grant cycle, Port had covered the original the seafood industry, with many state for just over $1.5 million, Evert said Port staff has already wood decking of the pier with pilings bent, broken or missing, not including the agency’s been trying to extend the life DVSKDOW DV D TXLFN ¿[ %XW WKH and a deck pockmarked with $660,000 local match, to of Pier 2, which is seemingly wood underneath rotted over holes covered by raised metal overhaul Pier 2’s western dock. known as much for huge time, leading to issues all over sheeting. Nearly two years ago, The plan is to replace 35,000 potholes and uneven decking as the decking. The Port has been the Port declared an emergency square feet of the failing dock, taking sections of the pier’s east on the dock and brought in along with the damaged and WKH¿VKFURVVLQJWKHGRFNV In the past, staffers at the side, cutting out the asphalt and former Astorian and expert missing pilings underneath. HEALTH N OTIFIC ATIO N Are Y o u Ha rd o f Hea rin g ? A m ajor n am e bran d h earin g aid provider w ish es to field test a rem ark able n ew digital h earin g in stru m en t in th e area. Th is offer is free of ch arge an d you are u n der n o obligation . Th ese revolu tion ary 100% D igital in stru m en ts u se th e latest tech n ology to com fortably an d alm ost in visibly h elp you h ear m ore clearly. Th is tech n olog y solves th e “stopped u p ears” an d “h ead in a barrel” sen sation som e people experien ce. 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