Just one week before an expected permit decision from the Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL), Jordan Cove LNG has withdrawn their application for a Removal-Fill permit to dredge millions of cubic feet of sediment out of Coos Bay for LNG tankers and construct a pipeline through and under hundreds of waterways in Southern Oregon. The massive fracked gas project cannot move forward without this permit.
“If they have to withdraw an application like this after 15 years of outside companies trying to get approval, then it's time for them to withdraw the project altogether,” said Stacey McLaughlin, an impacted Douglas County landowner, in a coalition press release. “Leave Oregon farmers, fishermen, ranchers, and tribal members alone. It's time for Pembina to cancel this project. Oregon doesn't want this pipeline."
DSL conducted five public hearings in January 2019 in Klamath County, Jackson County, Douglas County, Coos County, and Salem as a part of an extensive public comment process on the Removal-Fill permit for Jordan Cove LNG where 3,500 people gave in-person testimony and over 49,000 people submitted comments opposed to the project. Under Oregon law, DSL has the authority to deny permits for projects that are not consistent with the protection, conservation, or best use of Oregon’s waters and that unreasonably interfere with navigation, fishing, or public recreation. Oregon PSR submitted extensive comments on the harms to drinking water that would be caused by the Jordan Cove LNG project and the agency flagged our comments for attention and response.
“This project would cross 485 waterways and risk the drinking water of over 156,000 Oregonians,” said Dr. Melanie Plaut of Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility at the close of the public comment period. “Instead of a massive fracked gas pipeline and export terminal that would degrade the health of our climate, Oregonians need a swift, just transition to clean energy and greater energy efficiency.”
Oregon PSR's Dr. Patricia Kullberg speaks at a rally of over 750 people opposed to Jordan Cove LNG at the Oregon State Capitol Building in Salem on November 21, 2019.
In addition to extensive comments on numerous state and federal permitting processes, Oregon PSR teamed up with our partners in Washington state to release an extensive report entitled Fracked Gas: A Threat to Healthy Communities. We have provided speakers at community rallies, comment writing workshops, and public hearings throughout the state. Jordan Cove LNG now faces a federal permitting decision with zero of three necessary state permits. The project is not yet fully defeated, and proponents will likely try to circumvent state review, but this is a major setback to this massive fracked gas project.