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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (March 1, 2018)
8 S moke S ignals MARCH 1, 2018 Proposed natural gas pipeline concerns Tribe Jordan Cove project would traverse ceded territory By Danielle Frost Smoke Signals staff writer Grand Ronde Tribal staff have filed a motion to intervene in the Federal Energy Regulatory Com- mission’s process regarding con- struction of a proposed natural gas pipeline in southern Oregon. The Jordan Cove Energy Project would place a pipeline in areas that include the Tribe’s ceded territory from milepost 50 to 170 along Inter- state 5 and span four treaty areas. The project is currently in the environmental impact gathering phase. “What we are doing is engaging in the process, partly with FERC and also with some of the state agencies responsible for permits,” Ceded Lands Program Manager Michael Karnosh said. “We have also met with different folks, such as the project proponents and consultants. At this point, we are gathering in- formation and evaluating the big is- sues for the Tribe in trying to protect our resources that are down there.” The Tribe’s primary concerns thus far are potential effects to cultural and natural resources the project may have. “There are also cumulative im- pacts,” Karnosh said. “The con- struction of a pipeline and terminal has impacts, but also from infra- structure and increased carbon emissions.” In September 2017, Jordan Cove and Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline filed applications with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the construction and operation of a liquefied natural gas export terminal in Coos Bay and a 234- mile buried pipeline connector that would transport natural gas from the Malin hub in southern Oregon to the export terminal. The Malin hub is the main in- terconnection serving California and other western natural gas markets. Jordan Cove and Pacific Con- nector are requesting that FERC issue a draft Environmental Impact Statement in 2018, according to the project’s website, that would place the project for a potential final in- vestment decision in 2019 and an opening date in 2024. Next steps include the Grand Ronde Tribal consultation team presenting updated information to Tribal Council, which was sched- uled to occur on Wednesday, Feb. 28. The team includes employees from the executive level as well as Natural Resources, Legal and Tribal Lands departments. “We are going to discuss our preliminary observations on what agencies and project paperwork was done right, and the gaps that they have,” Karnosh said. “We will continue to engage in the process.” Once FERC issues the Environ- mental Impact Statement, the Trib- al consultation team will review it and determine how best to proceed. The process also is open to the pub- lic and Karnosh encourages Tribal members to learn more about the project and submit comments or concerns for the record. More information regarding the regulatory process can be found at www.jordancovelng.com/project/ regulatory/. “This will be a long and challeng- ing process with a lot of agencies,” Karnosh said. Smoke Signals photo reprint policy See a photo you like in Smoke Signals? Want a copy, or several copies? Want to see if a photo that was taken but not printed in Smoke Signals because of space limitations might be something you’d like hanging on your living room wall? Tribal members can order 8-by- 10-inch copies of photos taken by Smoke Signals staff members regardless of if they were published in the newspaper. Charge is $1 for each print ordered. Reprint orders must be pre-paid with a check made out to Smoke Signals. A photo reprint order form is available in the Publications Office of the Tribe’s Governance Building in Grand Ronde, or can be mailed upon request. All photos contained in Smoke Signals’ current archive are available for purchase, but people interested in going through the archive must make an appointment to review photos for possible purchase. No rush orders are permitted and requestors must allow 30 days for delivery. Requestors must be Tribal members. In addition, reprint re- questors must agree that the reprint is for personal use only, and not for use in an ad, or for commercial, political or promotional purposes. Smoke Signals reserves the right to decline a reprint request. To request a reprint order form, write to Smoke Signals at 9615 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde, OR 97347, or call Michelle Alaimo at 503-879-1961 or 800-422-0232. Ad created by George Valdez
