A5
THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, MAY 23, 2020
Federal regulators uphold
approval of Jordan Cove
LNG project
in Coos Bay
By TED SICKINGER
The Oregonian
Federal regulators on
Thursday denied requests
from the state of Oregon,
affected landowners, tribal,
environmental and fi sher-
ies groups to reconsider its
March approval of the pro-
posed Jordan Cove liquefi ed
natural gas export terminal
in Coos Bay and its 230-mile
feeder pipeline.
The state had objected to
the Federal Energy Regu-
latory Commission’s origi-
nal decision to conditionally
approve the project before it
received required state per-
mits. Those include its water
quality certifi cation, dredg-
ing permit and a determina-
tion that the project is in line
with state land use laws –
none of which appear to be
forthcoming.
After the March decision,
Gov. Kate Brown issued her
fi rst challenge to the project
in her fi ve years in offi ce.
She said she was stunned
that the commission was
issuing a decision during the
ongoing COVID-19 crisis,
and she was ready to chal-
lenge it legally.
“I want to reiterate that I
will not stand for any attempt
to ignore Oregon’s author-
ity to protect public safety,
health, and the environ-
ment’” she said at the time.
“I have asked the state’s law-
yers to consider all appropri-
ate legal action to assure that
Oregon permitting processes
will be followed.”
She also said that until
the project received every
required permit from state
and local agencies, she
would prevent the company
from taking early action on
condemning private prop-
erty or clearing land.
In a news conference after
the commission’s meeting
Thursday, Chair Neil Chat-
terjee reiterated a statement
he made after the March
approval.
“I want to be clear that
a project cannot begin con-
struction until all required
permits have been received,”
he said. “I’ll say that again,
the project cannot begin con-
struction until all required
permits have been received.”
Chatterjee also said the
project’s backer, Pembina
Pipeline Corp., had emi-
nent domain authority today
to condemn private prop-
erty for its pipeline, called
the Pacifi c Connector. But
he said no construction on
the pipeline or LNG facil-
ity, including land clearing,
can take place until the com-
pany has received all neces-
sary permits.
That leaves Pembina in
a standoff with Oregon, but
with a longshot strategy to
end-run state regulators.
Oregon’s Department of
Environmental Quality has
already denied the project’s
water quality certifi cation.
The Department of Land
Conservation and Devel-
opment, meanwhile, has
decided the project would
have signifi cant adverse
impacts on the state’s sce-
nic and aesthetic resources,
endangered species, critical
habitat, fi sheries and com-
mercial shipping. It ruled
in February that the project
wasn’t consistent with the
state’s coastal zone land use
laws.
Meanwhile
Pembina
withdrew its application for
a dredging permit when the
Department of State Lands
indicated that it was about
to reject that application,
too. Pembina also needs the
department to grant ease-
ments to use state land and
waterways to build the gas
liquefaction terminal, ship-
ping berth and pipeline.
Those are unlikely to be
granted given the agency’s
stance on the dredging per-
mit. And Pembina can’t use
the eminent domain author-
ity that comes with the com-
mission’s approval against
the state, only private prop-
erty owners.
Debate over the con-
troversial project has been
intense in Oregon since it
was fi rst proposed as a gas
import facility in 2005.
Boosters tout the $10 bil-
lion project’s potential
employment and property
tax impacts in an area of the
state that has lagged eco-
nomically since the early
1980s. Opponents call it a
potential
environmental,
public safety and property
rights disaster.
Pembina hasn’t packed
up its tent altogether. But it
did recently close its offi ce
in Coos Bay, and for the time
being, is pursuing a strategy
that seems sure to prompt a
legal response from Oregon.
It has asked the U.S. Depart-
ment of Commerce to over-
rule Oregon’s decision that
the project isn’t consistent
with state land use laws. And
it has asked the commis-
sion to waive a requirement
under the Natural Gas Act
that it obtain a water quality
certifi cation from the state,
arguing that the state failed
to make a timely decision on
that permit.
The company did not
return a call for comment
Thursday.
OBITUARIES
Marc Allan Walter
Dunedin, Florida
1959 — 2020
Marc Allan Walter, age 60, passed away behind. Murphy would spend every hour of
suddenly on May 7, 2020.
the work day in Marc’s offi ce, which often
Born in Lyons, Kansas, in 1959, Marc ran past dinner time. If you were a client, it
was not uncommon to hear Mur-
was a resident of everywhere.
phy in the background during
Not one to spend too long in one
calls.
place, he had the pleasure of liv-
To honor Marc, his best
ing on either coast and several
friend Murphy and everyone
places in between. Though if you
who makes bonds like this pos-
were to ask him, the years that
sible, the family requests a dona-
included any measure of snow
tion in lieu of fl owers to secure.
were not of much consequence.
oregonhumane.org/doggiedash/
Marc is survived by all of
stephanie
those who loved him, and will be
A graveside service will be
remembered as a loving husband,
Marc Walter
held on Friday at 3 p.m. at Ever-
father, friend, the best fi re protec-
green Cemetery in Seaside,
tion engineer God ever blessed
this planet with, a man of the sea and a rest- Oregon.
Hughes-Ransom Mortuary is in charge
less wanderer.
Everyone who knew Marc could usually of the arrangements. Please visit hughesran-
expect that his cat, “Murphy,” was not far som.com to leave messages of condolence.
Ronald E. Saukko
Scappoose
Dec. 23, 1937 — May 11, 2020
Ronald E. Saukko, age 82, of Scap- Klamath Falls, Oregon, to become a pipe
poose, Oregon, passed away in
fi tter, and worked in the steam
his home on May 11, 2020.
pipe industry for many years.
Later in life, Ronald was a mem-
Ronald was born on Dec. 23,
ber of the Elks Lodge.
1937, in Astoria, Oregon, to his
He is survived by his son,
father, Ernest, and mother, Aune
Vance; his brothers, Leroy
Laurila.
Saukko and Gene Kangas; and
He became a part of the Army
sisters Millie Minkoff and Kath-
Reserve in the early 1960s.
leen Krause.
Ronald enriched his life with
Ronald will be buried at
activities like trap shooting and
Prairie Cemetery in Knappa,
fi shing, with an additional inter-
Ronald Saukko
Oregon.
est in old cars.
Please sign our online guest-
Ronald went to trade school
at the Oregon Institute of Technology in book at columbiafh.com
OBITUARY POLICY
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Obituaries and notices may be submitted online at DailyAstorian.com/forms/obits,
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The Astorian offi ce, 949 Exchange St. in Astoria.
For more information, call 503-325-3211, ext. 257.
SPORTS
OREGON CAPITAL
Takalo set to pitch for Cowlitz INSIDER
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The Astorian
The 2020 summer base-
ball season may be starting
soon for Knappa graduate
Dale Takalo.
The right-handed pitcher
and former Logger is return-
ing to play for the Cowlitz
Black Bears, a collegiate
summer league team.
A member of the West
Coast League, Cowlitz
announced Takalo’s plan to
return Thursday, with the sea-
son opener still scheduled for
June 3 vs. the Portland Gher-
kins at David Story Field in
Longview, Washington.
Takalo made three appear-
ances for Blue Mountain
Community College earlier
this spring before the sea-
son was canceled. The soph-
omore had a 2-1 record with
20 strikeouts in 16.2 innings
pitched for the Timberwolves.
He appeared in 14 games
for Cowlitz last summer.
Takalo will be transferring
in the fall to Lewis & Clark
State College in Lewiston,
Idaho.
Gary Henley/The Astorian
Knappa brothers Dale Takalo, left, and Eli Takalo are ready for
the return of summer baseball.
“Dale is a bulldog,” said
Cowlitz head coach Grady
Tweit. “He wants the ball
every game and is ready for
any situation you put him in.”
Takalo’s younger brother
Eli will play next season
at Mt. Hood Community
College.
Meanwhile, several local
players are on this year’s
SEVENDAY FORECAST FOR ASTORIA
TODAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
summer roster of the Lower
Columbia Baseball Club in
Longview. Lower Colum-
bia will open its summer
season with Warrenton’s
Devin Jackson, Austin Little
and Jake Morrow, Astoria’s
Dylan Rush and Naselle’s
Ethan Lindstrom on June 10
in Hillsboro against the Port-
land Barbers.
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
REGIONAL FORECAST
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
Seattle
59 49
62 52
62 51
Cloudy, showers A brief shower
Mostly cloudy
around
or two
62 49
66 51
71 54
78 55
Partly sunny
Sunshine and
beautiful
Partly sunny
and warm
A shower
possible
Aberdeen
Olympia
59/48
65/50
Wenatchee
Tacoma
Moses
Lake
65/46
ALMANAC
UNDER THE SKY
TODAY'S TIDES
Astoria through Thursday
Tonight’s Sky: New moon (10:39
a.m. PDT).
Astoria / Port Docks
Temperatures
High/low ................................ 57/47
Normal high/low .................. 61/47
Record high .................. 86 in 1914
Record low .................... 36 in 1973
Precipitation
Thursday ................................. 0.11”
Month to date ........................ 3.06”
Normal month to date ......... 2.33”
Year to date .......................... 35.12”
Normal year to date ........... 32.62”
Forecasts and graphics provided by
AccuWeather, Inc. ©2020
Time
High (ft.) Time Low (ft.)
1:45 a.m.
3:20 p.m.
8.4 8:58 a.m. -0.6
6.8 8:42 p.m. 2.9
Cape Disappointment
1:26 a.m.
2:51 p.m.
Source: Jim Todd, OMSI
Hammond
SUN AND MOON
Sunrise today .................. 5:34 a.m.
Sunset tonight ............... 8:51 p.m.
Moonrise today .............. 6:21 a.m.
Moonset today ............ 10:07 p.m.
New
First
Full
Last
1:35 a.m.
3:05 p.m.
Warrenton
1:40 a.m.
3:15 p.m.
Knappa
2:22 a.m.
3:57 p.m.
Depoe Bay
May 22 May 29 June 5 June 12
8.3 8:02 a.m. -0.7
6.7 7:48 p.m. 3.2
8.6 8:23 a.m. -0.9
6.9 8:10 p.m. 2.9
8.8 8:42 a.m. -0.5
7.2 8:26 p.m. 3.0
8.6 9:59 a.m. -0.5
7.0 9:43 p.m. 2.5
12:36 a.m. 8.3 7:33 a.m. -1.0
2:09 p.m. 6.6 7:17 p.m. 3.1
City
Atlanta
Boston
Chicago
Dallas
Denver
Honolulu
Houston
Los Angeles
Miami
New York City
Phoenix
San Francisco
Wash., DC
Sun.
Hi/Lo/W
88/69/pc
62/47/pc
79/67/t
88/73/c
81/45/pc
87/71/pc
91/76/pc
76/58/s
87/75/c
67/54/sh
93/70/s
74/53/s
81/62/t
90/68/t
58/45/pc
86/69/t
84/67/t
61/41/t
85/72/pc
88/73/t
81/60/s
84/77/c
67/52/pc
95/69/s
76/55/s
72/57/c
Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy,
c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms,
r-rain, sf-snow fl urries, sn-snow, i-ice.
65/45
Hermiston
The Dalles 72/46
Enterprise
Pendleton 57/36
66/44
70/49
La Grande
62/38
65/47
NATIONAL CITIES
Today
Hi/Lo/W
58/41
Kennewick Walla Walla
64/46 Lewiston
74/46
64/47
Salem
Pullman
72/48
Longview
59/49 Portland
66/50
61/43
Yakima 73/47
65/46
Astoria
Spokane
71/51
Corvallis
67/47
Albany
66/46
John Day
Eugene
Bend
67/47
64/39
63/36
Ontario
68/43
Caldwell
Burns
63/33
65/41
Medford
74/48
Klamath Falls
66/39
City
Baker City
Brookings
Ilwaco
Newberg
Newport
Today
Hi/Lo/W
61/34/pc
65/50/pc
57/49/c
65/46/pc
58/47/c
Sun.
Hi/Lo/W
68/42/c
68/55/pc
59/53/sh
70/51/c
60/52/c
City
North Bend
Roseburg
Seaside
Springfi eld
Vancouver
Today
Hi/Lo/W
61/49/pc
71/48/pc
59/48/c
68/46/pc
65/48/pc
Sun.
Hi/Lo/W
64/53/c
77/53/pc
62/52/sh
74/50/c
68/53/sh