Category Archives: Oregon

The LNG export shell game: FERC, FE, MARAD, or NEB?

If you’re a Houston fossil fuel company and you can’t get FERC approval fast enough, try FE, or MARAD! Deepwater Port Location & Status Map If that doesn’t work, ship it by land through Canada or Mexico! Local property rights, they laugh at those! Rio Grande, Suwannee River, or Hudson River: just minor obstacles to greed! If the people are tired of profit being more important than their land, water, air, or safety, it’s time to stop this fossil fuel shell game.

MARAD

Continue reading The LNG export shell game: FERC, FE, MARAD, or NEB?

Oregon citizen bursts pipeline company talking points

An Oregonian thoroughly explodes the standard pipeline script:

“I guess we could stand having a 232-mile IED in our backyard if it is really benefits the public. But who, exactly, is the public here?”

His Canadian pipeline moguls are actually both from Houston, Texas: Williams Company with its Washington Expansion Project (WEP) getting its fracked methane from Spectra Energy’s Westcoast Pipeline. Oh, this is another Williams pipeline: Pacific Connector, going to the same Jordan Cover LNG export terminal as WEP. The same Williams Company of Transco’s Hillabee Expansion Project to feed Spectra Energy’s Sabal Trail pipeline. The same Sabal Trail that’s suing a Georgia Centennial Family Farm tomorrow in Moultrie, Georgia. All the pipeline companies seem to follow the same script, including Kinder Morgan for its Palmetto Pipeline. And this Oregonian answered for all of us facing pipeline invaders.

Diarmuid McGuire, Ashland Daily Tidings, 22 January 2015, Guest Opinion: We’re Oregonians, but we’re not stupid, Continue reading Oregon citizen bursts pipeline company talking points

LNG export approved and proposed

How big is the LNG export gold rush? Here are maps of dozens of approved, proposed, and potential LNG export terminals, one of them even including Carib’s FE-authorized Martin County LNG export facility that FERC never seems to remember and Sabal Trail never talks about.

Update 2015-02-23: Now with the rest of the maps.

300x225 FERC Proposed LNG Export, in LNG, by John S. Quarterman, for SpectraBusters.org, 22 February 2015 In addition to the approved LNG import and export terminals, there are more on this FERC map of Proposed North American LNG Export Terminals, including ones in Lake Charles (2 and 7), Sabine Pass (6), Plaquemines Parish (8 and 11), and Cameron Parish (13) Louisiana, Lavaca Bay (4) and Sabine Pass (9), Texas, Elba Island (5), Georgia, and Jacksonvile (14), Florida, as well as Coos Bay (1) and Astoria (3), Oregon, plus two in Kitimat (15 and 17) and one on Douglas Island (16), British Columbia. One of those proposed BC LNG export terminals is where Spectra Energy proposes to build not one but two pipelines. And even that ain’t all. Continue reading LNG export approved and proposed

State and local permitting for Sabal Trail pipeline

The Florida Public Service Commission has a special say in the Southeast Market Pipelines Project because the Florida Southeast Connection (FSC) leg of this pipeline is completely inside Florida and completely owned by FPL, a Florida regulated electric utility. And Florida has a say because the entire excuse for the three-part Transco -> Sabal Trail -> FSC project is that supposedly Florida needs the power (it doesn’t, but that’s the excuse). FPL is getting so desperate for public acceptance of this boondoggle they pressed their own CEO, Eric Silagy, into attempting to rebut Our Santa Fe River’s latest entry in the op-ed debate.

Sabal Trail and FERC would like everyone to believe state regulators have no say, but that’s just not true. It’s not even clear GA PSC has no say, considering that Continue reading State and local permitting for Sabal Trail pipeline

Williams Co’s WEP pipeline anchor customer is Oregon LNG for export

Jordan Cove and Oregon LNG, plus Plymouth LNG that blew up in March: Spectra and Williams are running 36-inch pipelines through the Pacific Northwest to LNG export terminals. Is it coincidence that their 36-inch Transco and Sabal Trail pipelines through the southeast go right to LNG export operations? Columbia and Rogue Riverkeepers remind us states have water and air permitting authority for pipelines, and don’t forget local governments have zoning authority, plus landowners can hold out for much better offers.

From Spectra’s Westcoast Pipeline through the fields of the countersuing Chilliwack, BC farmers, and Williams’ Washington Expanstion Project down I-5 past Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia, turn right at Woodland, Oregon, because: Continue reading Williams Co’s WEP pipeline anchor customer is Oregon LNG for export

PHMSA deputized Oregon PUC to investigate three-month Williams Co. methane leak

Unless somebody dies or is injured, it’s not a reportable incident, says the federal agency in charge of investigating fracked methane pipeline safety. PHMSA finally deputized a state Oregon safety organization after three months of leaks from a pipeline owned by Williams Company, also owner of Transco, the first pipeline in the Transco -> Sabal Trail -> FSC chain to the sea through Alabama and Georgia to LNG export from Florida.

Lynne Terry reported for Oregon Live 10 January 2014, Safety switch triggers natural gas leak on Sauvie Island,

Williams spokesman Tom Droege said gas spewed into the air in a controlled manner for about 70 minutes. He said Williams personnel switched the gas flow to a secondary line. The station is now operating normally.

Gas service was not interrupted during the leak and no one was injured, Droege said.

The company apologized for inconvenience to residents. Households were evacuated and the bridge was closed in response to the leak.

Three months later, Continue reading PHMSA deputized Oregon PUC to investigate three-month Williams Co. methane leak