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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 21, 2021)
A2 THE ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021 IN BRIEF Seaside man sentenced to prison for domestic violence EXPLORERS CLUB A Seaside man was sentenced Tuesday to almost two years in prison for domestic violence. Saturnino Romero Martinez, 32, was arrested last June for crimes related to domestic violence, includ- ing attempted murder. He pleaded guilty to strangulation and his other charges were dismissed. After the arrest, he was the subject of a detainer by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Astoria police seek information about attempted robbery Astoria police are seeking information about an attempted robbery that occurred Tuesday near Sec- ond Street and Marine Drive. Police were called about 2:30 a.m. and spoke to a man and a witness who were reportedly walking in the area when they were approached by a man who brandished a knife. The suspect demanded the man’s cellphone and threatened to hurt him if he did not comply. Another person in the area intervened and the suspect fl ed on foot. The suspect is described as a white male with shoulder length blond hair. He was wearing a white checkered jacket and a dark colored bandana. Anyone with information or video of the suspect in the area is asked to contact Detective Nicole Riley at 503-741-6118 or at nriley@astoria.or.us. TOP: Ulises Tadeo Hernández Castelan navigates a remote-controlled model sailboat around the pond outside the Barbey Maritime Center. LEFT: Columbia River Maritime Museum volunteer Renee Fruiht works with Hudson Sandel and Izabellah Paris while they paint ideas to decorate the sail of their future miniboat. With many students not attending in- person classes during the pandemic, the Columbia River Maritime Museum created the Explorers Club to provide local students with learning activities through the miniboat program. Authorities track down potentially dangerous dog after escape Authorities located an aggressive and potentially dangerous Chow Chow that escaped from Clatsop County Animal Control on Tuesday morning. Offi cials say the dog escaped at about 9 a.m. An extensive effort was made by animal control, the Warrenton Police Department and the Clatsop County Sheriff’s Offi ce to capture the dog. The dog was found on Wednesday morning and was taken back to animal control. — The Astorian Washington state nixes Kalama methanol plant OLYMPIA, Wash. — Offi cials in Washing- ton state denied a key permit for a large proposed methanol plant Tuesday, saying the project that aims to send the chemical to China to be used in every- thing from fabrics and contact lenses to iPhones and medical equipment would pump out too much pollution. A signifi cant increase in greenhouse gas emis- sions and inconsistencies with the Shoreline Man- agement Act were the main reasons the permit was rejected for the project planned on the Columbia River, the state Department of Ecology said in a news release. The $2 billion Northwest Innovation Works plant proposed in Kalama would take natural gas from Canada and convert it into methanol. It would then be shipped to China to make olefi ns — compounds used in many everyday products. — Associated Press Photos by Hailey Hoff man/ The Astorian DEATH Jan. 17, 2021 Death HENDRICKSON, Jay Donald, 75, died in Payson, Arizona. Messinger Payson Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. ON THE RECORD A rendering of the proposed Jordan Cove liquefi ed natural gas terminal in Coos Bay. Assault ful possession of meth- On the • Chase Daniel Record Rusi- amphetamine, interfer- novich, 24, of Astoria, was arrested Saturday on Bond Street in Astoria for assault in the fourth degree and harassment. Robbery • Geremy Gro- chow, 31, of Astoria, was arrested Friday at Walmart in Warrenton for robbery in the second degree and theft in the third degree. Criminal mischief • Desiree Laymon, 33, was arrested Tuesday in Warrenton for unlaw- ing with a police offi cer, offensive littering, crimi- nal mischief in the second degree, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. DUII • Ricardo Benjamin Carvajal, 32, was arrested Monday on U.S. High- way 26 in Seaside for driving under the infl u- ence of intoxicants. • Joann Kysar, 48, of Long Beach, Washing- ton, was arrested Satur- day on U.S. Highway 30 for DUII. PUBLIC MEETINGS THURSDAY Astoria School District Board of Directors, 5:45 p.m., special meeting, (electronic meeting). Seaside Transportation Advisory Commission, 6 p.m., (electronic meeting). 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: 800-781-3214 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, 2021 by The Astorian. MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MEMBER CERTIFIED AUDIT OF CIRCULATIONS, INC. Printed on recycled paper Subscription rates Eff ective January 12, 2021 MAIL EZpay (per month) ...............................................................................................................$10.75 13 weeks in advance ...........................................................................................................$37.00 26 weeks in advance ...........................................................................................................$71.00 52 weeks in advance ........................................................................................................ $135.00 DIGITAL EZpay (per month) .................................................................................................................$8.25 Federal regulators deliver potentially fatal blow to Jordan Cove LNG project By TED SICKINGER The Oregonian Federal energy regulators on Tuesday upheld Oregon’s decision to deny a water qual- ity certifi cation for the pro- posed Jordan Cove liquefi ed natural gas export terminal in Coos Bay and its feeder pipe- line, the Pacifi c Connector, another sign that the massive energy project may be on its last legs. The project’s owner, Cal- gary-based Pembina Pipeline Corp., did not respond to a request for comment. But the decision prompted an enthu- siastic response from oppo- nents of the project, as well as politicians such as Gov. Kate Brown and U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden. “At every stage of the regulatory process, I have insisted that the Jordan Cove LNG project must meet Ore- gon’s rigorous standards for protecting the environment, or it cannot move forward,” Brown tweeted. “I’m pleased that the Federal Energy Regu- latory Commission validated that approach today.” Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality origi- nally denied the permit, with- out which backers cannot move forward, in May 2019. It did so partly for procedural reasons: To avoid uninten- tionally waiving the state’s authority as a deadline loomed ‘AT EVERY STAGE OF THE REGULATORY PROCESS, I HAVE INSISTED THAT THE JORDAN COVE LNG PROJECT MUST MEET OREGON’S RIGOROUS STANDARDS FOR PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT, OR IT CANNOT MOVE FORWARD. I’M PLEASED THAT THE FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION VALIDATED THAT APPROACH TODAY.’ Pembina’s request to waive Oregon’s 401 water quality authority,” Stacey McLaugh- lin, a Douglas County land- owner, said in a news release from the project’s opponents. “Any approach to seeking approval of its Pacifi c Con- nector Pipeline and Jordan Cove Energy Project without proper permits compromises the safety of Oregon’s land- owners. Pembina is proving it cannot be trusted — this is not a characteristic seen in a ‘good neighbor.’” Gov. Kate Brown Tuesday’s decision still leaves the company free to reapply to the Department of Environmental Quality for the certifi cation. But 15 years after the controversial LNG terminal and pipeline were originally proposed, backers face a daunting set of obsta- cles at the state level. Last February, the Oregon Department of Land Con- servation and Development determined that the project was not consistent with land use laws under the Coastal Zone Management Act. In its decision, it said the “adverse effects from the project will be signifi cant and under- mine the vision set forth by the Oregon Coastal Manage- ment Plan and its enforceable policies.” for making a decision and the company’s application was still deemed incomplete. The agency said at the time that it was denying the application because there “is insuffi cient information to demonstrate compliance with water quality standards, and because the available infor- mation shows that some stan- dards are more likely than not to be violated.” But it denied the applica- tion without prejudice, leav- ing the company free to reapply. Pembina appealed the decision to federal regula- tors, arguing that the agency had failed to make a deci- sion in a timely fashion. In a unanimous decision Tuesday, commissioners at the Fed- eral Energy Regulatory Com- mission disagreed, effectively arguing that the state had never received a completed application. “The order fi nds that Jor- dan Cove and Pacifi c Con- nector never requested cer- tifi cation with respect to the c ommission authorizations for the Jordan Cove Energy Project and that the Oregon Department of Environmen- tal Quality could not have waived its authority to issue certifi cation for a request it never received,” the commis- sion said Tuesday in a sum- mary of its fi ndings. “The evidence in the record was clear, FERC had no choice other than to deny Company can reapply See LNG, Page A3
