NW Natural's shareholders meeting is disturbed by anti-LNG protest
The company shakes up its leadership and closes its meeting to the public
Friday, May 23, 2008
TED SICKINGER The Oregonian
Thursday was unusually chaotic for a normally dull gas monopoly as Northwest Natural Gas Co. announced major leadership changes, heard loud protests outside its Portland headquarters and got hit with a lawsuit from landowners who oppose its efforts to bring liquefied natural gas to Oregon.
The company was so put out by the hubbub that it took the unusual step of closing its annual shareholder meeting. Executives said they were worried that their normally placid recital of financial results for a group of elderly shareholders was about to erupt into a carnival of protest in front of TV cameras. So they barred media representatives and anyone else but registered shareholders.
"We made the call for the safety of the people in the room," said Gregg Kantor, the company's president.
Inside, the company shared a significant piece of information: Kantor, 51, will succeed Chief Executive Mark Dodson when Dodson retires at the end of the year.
Meanwhile, opponents of proposed LNG terminals and associated pipelines were outside, locking themselves to the building's entrance, urging the company to "stop pimping LNG" and waving placards that called the imported fuel "NW Nasty Gas."
Also Thursday, landowner groups said they filed suit against the joint venture.....For Complete Story Click On Ttitle above.
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