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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 22, 2020)
A2 THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2020 IN BRIEF RV catches fi re in Seaside Authorities are investigating a fi re that destroyed an RV and garage Thursday afternoon in Seaside. Offi cials say the RV was parked in front of a vacant home on S. Columbia Street. Firefi ghters were able to keep the fi re contained to the RV and garage of the home. Offi cials say people who may have been occupy- ing the home at the time of the fi re impeded fi refi ght- ers by going back into the garage while fi refi ghters were working to put the fi re out. Crash closed one lane of Highway 101 One lane of U.S. Highway 101 closed for about an hour Thursday evening due to a crash near Glen- wood Village. Police say a driver traveling in the southbound lane turned left into another vehicle. Both vehicles were towed from the scene and inju- ries were reported. Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian Nursing assistant loses license over medications The state Board of Nursing revoked the license of a Clatsop County nursing assistant found to be steal- ing pain medication meant for patients. The state alleged that Sarah Merrill, formerly a resident care coordinator at Avamere by the Sea in Seaside, was taking narcotics home from her work- place. She received her certifi cation in 2009 and was reported to the board late last year. Merrill, who did not request a hearing, can apply in three years to have her certifi cation reinstated. PROPELLED From left, Molly, Logan and Leah Dugan climb the 13- ton propeller outside the Columbia River Maritime Museum at sunset Thursday. Highway 30 lane closure could begin Monday Contractors could begin nighttime closures of one lane of U.S. Highway 30 at 30th Street in Astoria as early as Monday. Construction will likely begin next week on a stormwater treatment vault for city maintenance shops that will encroach onto one lane of traffi c. The contractor is allowed to close one lane of the highway between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. Construction is anticipated to last two weeks. Busi- nesses within the project area will remain open during construction. Peace tree coming to Cartwright Park SEASIDE — A symbol of peace. That’s how Seaside’s landscaper Pam Fleming and members of the city’s Tree Board see a small gingko tree headed to Cartwright Park. The city was one of 24 Oregon communities to successfully apply to participate in the state peace tree planting, marking the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. “It’s very symbolic,” Vineeta Lower, a Tree Board member who is running for state House, said on a tour of the park. Space and irrigation were the qualifi ers that brought the tree to Cartwright Park, with fi elds, play equipment and a boat ramp, Fleming said. The seedling ginkgo and Asian persimmon trees were grown from seed collected from trees that sur- vived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and brought to Oregon by Medford resident Hideko Tamu- ra-Snider, who survived the 1945 bombing. — The Astorian In Brief DEATHS Feb. 19, 2020 Death ASHLEY, Charles Edward, 71, of Seaside, died in Portland. Caldwell’s Funeral & Cremation Arrange- ment Center of Seaside is in charge of the arrangements. PUBLIC MEETINGS MONDAY Seaside City Council, 7 p.m., 989 Broadway. TUESDAY Clatsop County Human Services Advisory Council, 4 to 5:30 p.m., 800 Exchange St., Room 430. Warrenton City Commission, 6 p.m., City Hall, 225 S. Main Ave. Astoria Planning Commission, 6:30 p.m., City Hall, 1095 Duane St. PUBLIC MEETINGS Established July 1, 1873 (USPS 035-000) Published Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by EO Media Group, 949 Exchange St., PO Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103 Telephone 503-325-3211, 800-781-3211 or Fax 503-325-6573. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Astorian, PO Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103-0210 DailyAstorian.com Circulation phone number: 503-325-3211 Periodicals postage paid at Astoria, OR ADVERTISING OWNERSHIP All advertising copy and illustrations prepared by The Astorian become the property of The Astorian and may not be reproduced for any use without explicit prior approval. COPYRIGHT © Entire contents © Copyright, 2020 by The Astorian. MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MEMBER CERTIFIED AUDIT OF CIRCULATIONS, INC. Printed on recycled paper Subscription rates Eff ective May 1, 2019 MAIL (IN COUNTY) EZpay (per month) ...............................................................................................................$11.25 13 weeks in advance ...........................................................................................................$37.00 26 weeks in advance ...........................................................................................................$71.00 52 weeks in advance ........................................................................................................ $135.00 Out of County Rates available at 800-781-3214 DIGITAL EZpay (per month) .................................................................................................................$8.00 Andrew Selsky/AP Photo Demonstrators against a proposed liquid-natural gas pipeline and export terminal in Oregon fi lled the governor’s offi ce in Salem last year. Jordon Cove decision delayed Energy commission raised concerns By ANDREW SELSKY Associated Press SALEM — A U.S. regu- latory agency on Thursday delayed a vote on a pro- posed natural gas pipeline and marine export terminal in Oregon, with one mem- ber saying greenhouse gas emissions and endangered species should be consid- ered and blasting the deci- sion-making process as “rotten.” The issues bluntly raised at the meeting of the Federal Energy Regu- latory Commission came on top of objections to the mega-project by Oregon’s Department of Land Con- servation and Develop- ment. In a letter released late Wednesday, the depart- ment said the Jordan Cove Energy Project would harm the environment and had failed to obtain neces- sary permits and to provide information requested by the department. “Coastal effects anal- yses show that the proj- ect will negatively impact Oregon’s coastal scenic and aesthetic resources, a variety of endangered and threatened species, critical habitat and ecosystem ser- vices, fi sheries resources, commercial and recre- ational fi shing and boating, and commercial shipping and transportation, among other sectors,” the depart- ment said in the letter to a Jordan Cove offi cial. The proposed natural gas terminal and 230-mile pipeline would permit ship- ment of natural gas from the United States and Canada to Asia and would be the West Coast’s fi rst liquefi ed natu- ral gas export terminal. The Trump administration sup- ports energy export proj- ects and in particular Jordan Cove, a project of Pembina, a Canadian company. It has proposed streamlining approval of gas pipelines and other energy projects by limiting states’ certifi - cation authorities under the U.S. Clean Water Act. The three members of the federal commission were all appointed by President Donald Trump. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, urged Trump saying it ignores environ- mental impacts. “We really don’t con- sider or include those envi- ronmental impacts in our decision-making process,” Glick said at the meeting. “Something’s really rotten with that.” Glick also said Ore- gon’s goal to limit green- house gas emission should be considered because a pipeline across southern Oregon and an export ter- minal on Coos Bay would produce around 15% of the 14 million metric ton limit Oregon wants to reach by the year 2050. ‘WE REALLY DON’T CONSIDER OR INCLUDE THOSE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS IN OUR DECISION-MAKING PROCESS. SOMETHING’S REALLY ROTTEN WITH THAT.’ Richard Glick | commissioner at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last month to appoint a full and bipartisan fi ve-member commission before a ruling is made on Jordan Cove. Otherwise, a decision could be interpreted as politically motivated, he said. While the commission delayed the issue Thursday, member Bernard McNamee said he was giving it an ini- tial “nay” until he could study Wednesday’s deci- sion by the Oregon agency. Commissioner Richard Glick had harsh words for the way the panel operates, “This is going to really make it diffi cult for Ore- gon to reach its standards,” Glick said. He pointed out that the project is expected to have signifi cant impacts on 20 threatened or endan- gered species, among other negative effects. The Natural Gas Act requires public-interest ben- efi ts to be weighed against adverse impacts, Glick said. “We’re not doing that in this particular case, and that’s why I think this com- mission has earned its rep- utation for being a rub- ber stamp for these types of pipeline and LNG proj- ects,” Glick said. After Glick and McNa- mee spoke, commission chairman Neil Chatterjee said he was disappointed there was no fi nal vote on the project, but he respected the other commissioners’ need for more time. He said the application remains pending. Jordan Cove spokesman Paul Vogel said company offi cials are reviewing the letter from the state land conservation department and look forward to a fi nal decision by the federal reg- ulatory commission. Opponents of the proj- ect, including the group Rogue Climate, applauded the actions by McNamee and Glick. “Tens of thousands of people across the region have spoken out against this Jordan Cove LNG for over a decade,” said Allie Rosen- bluth of Rogue Climate. “It’s time to put an end to Jordan Cove LNG for good this time so our communi- ties can focus on creating local jobs in clean energy instead.” The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has already denied a water quality certifi cation for the proposed project. Pembina withdrew its application for another state permit, saying it would await a decision by the commission. State Sen. Jeff Golden, a Democrat, recently told demonstrators opposed to Jordan Cove that he expects the battle to go to the courts if the Trump administra- tion tries to ram the proj- ect through despite a lack of state permits.