In four years approximately two hundred people have spoken out at local hearings and in letters to the paper against siting LNG holding tanks at either Skipanon or Bradwood. Two hundred people told the media, their legislative representatives, the governor and the Federal Energy Regulation Commission that the local board of county commissioners in Clatsop County refuse to listen to the majority of their constituents in working through the process.
Out of a population of 36,000, with 21,104 being registered voters, 200 people have declared themselves "the majority"! We will forego the obvious conclusion of what kind of math they were doing.
This group of people have ignored the fact that the county commissioners and the City Council of Warrenton "heard" that 20,904 people didn't have the same concerns. Yet, still these 200 still claim rights over the top of 20,904 people who chose not to speak against LNG, against neither Oregon LNG's project nor Northern Stars.
Now, this same group wish to isolate Clatsop County, completely cutting it off of access to the outside world's options of technology or energy, saying they do so "for our own good."
Using scare tactics, half truths and outright lies the group will do whatever it takes to keep Clatsop County small and "manageable". Industry and technology to be kept out, service and tourism companies in.
The same group that quotes the Oregon Dept of Energy report that LNG isn't needed ignores the rest of the dirty little secret. ODE says LNG isn't needed because 146 new nuclear plants are to be built in the next decade.
What would you rather see in Warrenton or Bradwood, two LNG holding tanks or nuclear plants? Which is more of a terrorist target? Which has a larger "blast" zone? If the government sites a nuclear plant here do you think a referendum that they can't cross a few parks will stop the Feds?
Don't worry about that, the protesters will tell you. "We'll fight the nuclear plants, too! And we'll win, like we did against the LNG plants."
Which will leave us right back where we started, with rising energy costs and dirty coal fueling our electric plants. We won't have access to the solar, wind or hydro power because of this group's opposition to 4-131, voting no and forbidding the transmission of any of that kind of energy to cross our county and enter our homes, even if these options were ready within the next decade which they won't be.
Measure 4-131 must be passed to keep ALL options open to ALL Clatsop County citizens. The West Coast States must have the same options and access that the East Coast and Southern states have to safe, clean and reasonably priced fuel and energy sources. The east has three LNG terminals, the south has three terminals and the west has nothing.
LNG protesters, Common Sense, CFOG, or whatever name they go by next are striving to eliminate options, take away choices, shut down and out the average citizens, those living paycheck to paycheck. A vote of yes on measure 4-131 in September takes back what is our right, it maintains our options, leaving them open to be exercised on a project by project basis.
Write Governor Kulongoski and FERC today. Tell the governor that we want our options left open. We are tired of his bowing to special interest groups. Ask him if he is going to guarantee the nuclear plants will be built and what are his plans to ensure they will be? We want equal access to the energy that the east coast and southern states have access to. We want the option to fuel with LNG or CNG as other green technologies are worked out. This is the true common sense approach to our energy problems and no one is going to do it for us folks. Senators Johnson, Wyden and Smith, Reps Boone and Wu have all but declared themselves completely against LNG. They are listening to the minority voice because, right now, those are the voices screaming the loudest.
Twenty thousand-nine hundred and forty of us haven't opened our mouths. Now is the time. Write, email or call the governor, Johnson, Wu, Wyden, Smith, Boone and FERC. Tell them LNG is a viable option that you don't want taken away. Don't shut us out in the cold, don't allow us to be isolated at the mouth of the Columbia River with no options, no alternative energy, no voice.
FERC is supposed to be making a ruling on whether or not to allow Bradwood to proceed sometime this week. Governor Kulongoski has recently written to FERC asking them to delay their decision, after Bradwood has waited three years for it, until more people have a chance to complain. Kulongoski and Oregon's Attorney General have both said they will use whatever means available to stop Bradwood, which means denying them state permits. Your voice is needed NOW, if you want to see this LNG and stable energy costs any time in the neat future. Fax you letters to reach the governor before FERC makes its decision. FAX: 503.378.6827
Contact FERC here.
Out of a population of 36,000, with 21,104 being registered voters, 200 people have declared themselves "the majority"! We will forego the obvious conclusion of what kind of math they were doing.
This group of people have ignored the fact that the county commissioners and the City Council of Warrenton "heard" that 20,904 people didn't have the same concerns. Yet, still these 200 still claim rights over the top of 20,904 people who chose not to speak against LNG, against neither Oregon LNG's project nor Northern Stars.
Now, this same group wish to isolate Clatsop County, completely cutting it off of access to the outside world's options of technology or energy, saying they do so "for our own good."
Using scare tactics, half truths and outright lies the group will do whatever it takes to keep Clatsop County small and "manageable". Industry and technology to be kept out, service and tourism companies in.
The same group that quotes the Oregon Dept of Energy report that LNG isn't needed ignores the rest of the dirty little secret. ODE says LNG isn't needed because 146 new nuclear plants are to be built in the next decade.
What would you rather see in Warrenton or Bradwood, two LNG holding tanks or nuclear plants? Which is more of a terrorist target? Which has a larger "blast" zone? If the government sites a nuclear plant here do you think a referendum that they can't cross a few parks will stop the Feds?
Don't worry about that, the protesters will tell you. "We'll fight the nuclear plants, too! And we'll win, like we did against the LNG plants."
Which will leave us right back where we started, with rising energy costs and dirty coal fueling our electric plants. We won't have access to the solar, wind or hydro power because of this group's opposition to 4-131, voting no and forbidding the transmission of any of that kind of energy to cross our county and enter our homes, even if these options were ready within the next decade which they won't be.
Measure 4-131 must be passed to keep ALL options open to ALL Clatsop County citizens. The West Coast States must have the same options and access that the East Coast and Southern states have to safe, clean and reasonably priced fuel and energy sources. The east has three LNG terminals, the south has three terminals and the west has nothing.
LNG protesters, Common Sense, CFOG, or whatever name they go by next are striving to eliminate options, take away choices, shut down and out the average citizens, those living paycheck to paycheck. A vote of yes on measure 4-131 in September takes back what is our right, it maintains our options, leaving them open to be exercised on a project by project basis.
Write Governor Kulongoski and FERC today. Tell the governor that we want our options left open. We are tired of his bowing to special interest groups. Ask him if he is going to guarantee the nuclear plants will be built and what are his plans to ensure they will be? We want equal access to the energy that the east coast and southern states have access to. We want the option to fuel with LNG or CNG as other green technologies are worked out. This is the true common sense approach to our energy problems and no one is going to do it for us folks. Senators Johnson, Wyden and Smith, Reps Boone and Wu have all but declared themselves completely against LNG. They are listening to the minority voice because, right now, those are the voices screaming the loudest.
Twenty thousand-nine hundred and forty of us haven't opened our mouths. Now is the time. Write, email or call the governor, Johnson, Wu, Wyden, Smith, Boone and FERC. Tell them LNG is a viable option that you don't want taken away. Don't shut us out in the cold, don't allow us to be isolated at the mouth of the Columbia River with no options, no alternative energy, no voice.
FERC is supposed to be making a ruling on whether or not to allow Bradwood to proceed sometime this week. Governor Kulongoski has recently written to FERC asking them to delay their decision, after Bradwood has waited three years for it, until more people have a chance to complain. Kulongoski and Oregon's Attorney General have both said they will use whatever means available to stop Bradwood, which means denying them state permits. Your voice is needed NOW, if you want to see this LNG and stable energy costs any time in the neat future. Fax you letters to reach the governor before FERC makes its decision. FAX: 503.378.6827
Contact FERC here.
8 comments:
I agree.
Except the part about nuclear plants. I think it would be cool to have a nuclear plant nearby.
Of course, I support logging and commercial fishing too.
Peace and be renewable.
Ditto!
About third to the last paragraph it sounded as if they weren't opposed to nuclear, either. Maybe making a point? Whatever, seeing that Natural Gas is going to almost double in price THIS YEAR, I think ODE's report is already proved WRONG and PUC was right on target!
Where's all this natural gas, ODE??? huhm Kulongoski?
According to NCO http://www.northcoastoregon.com/articles/governor_calls_on_ferc_to_withdraw_bradwood_landing_final_report/ Bradwood has postcards available to send to the Governor. Stop by the Bradwood office, 905 Commercial St in Astoria to fill out the postcard and have it sent to Kulongoski.
Your thesis is, if a citizen of Clatsop County doesn't go and speak at a local hearing or write a letter to the paper, they're in favor of siting a LNG "holding tank farm" in the Columbia and closing the river to all traffic while LNG ships are escorted upstream by Department of Homeland Security forces past tour boats and tourists.
I'm a registered voter in Clatsop County and oppose siting a LNG terminal in the Columbia and haven't spoken at a hearing or written a letter...
I wonder whether you'll have the intellectual and intestinal fortitude to admit you're wrong? I doubt it but I'd be happy to be proven wrong.
Let's see now, Nuclear energy has gone modular instead of one-offs as in the past, is much safer, more predictable and just as powerful and lodged in one spot and service on-site.
A unit goes wrong, unplug it and replace with a new one just like and remove or repair the old one.
An LNG Transfer/Storage Terminal 20-plus miles up a river, 2.5 LNG Tankers a week full of liquefied natural gas roiling at -260 degrees, looking for the least opportunity to get out and vaporize, roundtrip, all communities, life qulaity and infrastructure along its route geared to this one private corporation with expesnive security and fire protection measures to protect themselves from it, no liability on the private corporation's part that we know of and now they get all squirelly that someone may get upset on their running a 36" diameter, high pressure natural Gas pipeline through property intended foe public use and recreation as well at the expense of other landowners who will simply lose their property if they don't agree to sell it tho these Energy Speculators abetted by governm,ent to take if necessary?
Let's see Nuclear Power and a possible melt-down or LNG in our lives 24/7/365 for 65 years for a product, we find we don't really need?
Hmmmmmmmmmmm!!
How tough a decision is that to make?
Thank you for this post, and I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner.
It is vitally important to let your public officials know that you support the Bradwood facility. Heck, even I don't want an LNG terminal right across the bay from Astoria - not because of the "danger", but because of asthaetics...the Bradwood plant won't be right in the tourists' faces as it would be if in Warrenton.
I am TOTALLY in agreement about the 29,949 people that haven't opened their mouths. Unfortunately, when you are FOR something, you aren't going to shout quite as loud as you would if you were AGAINST something. So all anyone is hearing is the ANTI-LNG people.
I've been a supporter of Bradwood Landing from the start, so of course I received the postcard they're doing for the Governor, so HE can see how many people support this project.
I filled out my postcard the day I got it - and have encouraged all of my friend to go down to the office and fill out a support card - our Governor needs to see that MORE people support this than the noisy people who oppose it!
Ben...
You mention in your post that the river will be closed? When?
This is one thing that is wrong with the oppostions argument. At no time will the river be closed because an LNG tanker is coming in.
Yes, there are specific areas in the river where large ships can pass each other, but those are EXISTING large ship passing areas, which were in place long before LNG tankers were looking to come in. Our River Pilots are used to this.
Ben? I think you need to get more information before you decide that you are against LNG ships.
And don't look at the Riverkeepers and sites like that - those people outright LIE to try and sway people.
I would recommend actually going and talking to the source...to the office downtown at Bradwood Landing. They are not ALLOWED to lie, contrary to the oppositions claims...their IPO with the Securities and Exchange Commission depends on their being honest in every way, or they don't get to go public to get their construction money!
About a year ago when I was wondering what the heck, I went down there, because I was hearing conflicting info. They're pretty nice people, and very down to earth, and just want to answer questions!
Please go and check it out!
The conclusion is that 21,000+ don't have the same concerns as do the ones appearing before the council.
The thesis is on Energy Wars and the fact that a small group of people are taking away option after option instead of leaving them open, based on half truths, conjectures, and often outright lies.
You writing that the river will be closed is another example of such a lie. Mr. McGee writing about the option of Nuclear Energy when he knows full well that the same groups blocking LNG have already begun the fight to block all new nuclear plant construction is an example of a half truth or a conjecture that the nuclear energy will even be available.
We Cartons don't have fortitude? [grin] Like beauty, that, too, is in the eye of the beholder.
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