Saturday, January 23, 2021

Oregon and Washington Win Big

Congratulations to many activists who helped stop, for now, the Jordan Cove LNG terminal in Coos Bay, Oregon, and proposed world's largest Kalama, Washington methanol refinery. According to Ted Sickinger, at The Oregonian/OregonLive, Pembina Pipeline Corp. can reapply to build the LNG terminal, but recently "Federal regulators deliver[ed] [a] potentially fatal blow" to their plans. According to Troy Brynelson (OPB), "NW Innovation Works, the company behind the [Kalama refinery] project, has 21 days [from January 19, 2021] to file an appeal." He quoted Laura Watson, Washington Department of Ecology Director, who said "At the end of the day, we know with certainty that this proposal would result in significant, new greenhouse gas emissions.” and it "would not benefit the environment, like some people are claiming.” 

 I, and 88 others, attended the Kalama Methanol Pre-hearing Rally and Comment Workshop organized by Sierra Club, and I wrote an Open Letter to Director Watson and Washington Dept. of Ecology to Please Do a Climate Analysis of Northwest Innovation Works’ (NWIW) Proposed Fracked Gas-to-methanol Refinery in Kalama. Columbia Riverkeeper reported "a broad coalition of over 30 community organizations representing tens of thousands of people from across the Northwest urged the Washington Department of Ecology and Governor Jay Inslee to deny the refinery." 

Next, I hope we can help orcas and salmon by legally removing the lower four Snake River dams.

Regarding the above photo, there are few things sadder than when your wife chooses a lure "because it is pretty" and outfishes you.