From: Financial Times - Germany: LNG Turns Into A Nightmare On The Adriatic

What began as a showcase green investment urgently needed by gas-hungry Italy has turned into a horror trip for the British energy giant BG Group. In addition to a corruption investigation, BG has faced environmental and political protests.

ZUM THEMA

The relationships with Community and LNG Speculators seem to be the same all over the world.

Behind locked gates bearing a "sequestered" court notice, a stretch of rubble jutting into the Adriatic is all that BG Group has to show for what should have been the biggest investment by a British company in Italy.
Only seagulls and anglers enjoy this empty expanse of reclaimed land in the port of Brindisi, an industrial wilderness in the heel of Italy. Because of a corruption probe involving former BG and local officials, the judiciary halted construction of the liquefied natural gas LNG terminal nearly a year ago.
BG Group is fighting hard to rescue the controversial project in the face of tough local opposition.
In addition to the corruption investigation, BG has faced environmental protests and political hurdles that have turned what began as a showcase green investment urgently needed by gas-hungry Italy into a nightmare for the British energy giant.
Even after everything has been signed, deals can unravel
Italy's disparate federal structure and intervention by the European Union also played important roles in a textbook case of how everything can unravel - even after all signatures are in place and building has begun.
Giovanni Antonino, in matching orange pullover and spectacles befitting his new image of management consultant, recalls how all the officials - including himself as then mayor of Brindisi, those in the province and the region of Puglia, plus the relevant ministries in Rome - unanimously signed off on the project.

Unlike coal or gas power plants, the natural gas plant would have environmental benifits in the long runThat was in 2003. Shortly afterwards, Mr Antonino spent a year in prison for crimes of corruption not related to BG. He was arrested again in February 2007 in a broader investigation into whether BG bribed officials to facilitate the authorisation process. Shuddering at the memory of his time in jail, Mr Antonino told the FT that to get out quickly he falsely confessed to receiving money from BG paid to a consultancy run by his ex-wife and the mother-in-law of a port authority official.
"BG did not bribe anyone for this contract," Mr Antonino insists. "My only illegitimate act was the illegal financing [by BG] of my electoral campaign of EUR 20,000 in 2002," he adds. Otherwise, BG had only given him three ties. BG denies denies all allegations of wrongdoing. It says it paid the consultancy for work done.
Invoices seized in dawn raids on BG premises, cited by officials, total EUR 360,000. A first court hearing is due on March 13 to determine whether a trial should proceed. Three former senior BG managers in Italy are among 15 people under investigation.
Domenico Mennitti, who was elected mayor in 2004 and opposes the project, rejects accusations of "nimbyism" (not in my back yard) directed at his city by the national media and Rome. "You could never call this place a garden," he retorts, reeling off the industries on his doorstep - including Europe's biggest coal-fired power station, which alone accounts for 10 per cent of Italy's carbon dioxide emissions, and a vast petrochemical plant whose previous US owners are accused of leaving behind a polluted mess.
Brindisi, he says, supplies 17 per cent of Italy's national grid and cannot be accused of not doing its bit. And still unemployment runs high.
Among his main objections to the LNG terminal are that it obstructs the port and it is dangerously close to both the petrochemical complex and the city of 90,000 people. His vision for Brindisi, with its picturesque harbour at the end of imperial Rome's Appia way, is more tourists and merchandise coming by boat and less industry. The terminal might benefit Italy, he says, but it was not in the interest of Brindisi.
Two friendly prime ministers of the day were keen promoters of the investment - Silvio Berlusconi and Tony Blair. The then UK ambassador to Rome, Sir Ivor Roberts, was dispatched to Brindisi in late 2005 when opposition was mounting. Officials describe how he brushed aside complaints, dismissing suggestions of an alternative location.
BG should have submitted Environmental Impact Assesment
So it was surprising that Mr Mennitti, who is close to Mr Berlusconi, fought the project, successfully arguing that BG should have submitted an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA), a view endorsed by the European Union last year. The EU also said there had been inadequate public consultation.
"Who comes to invest in Italy must respect the norms and laws of a country," says the mayor.
Following the EU intervention, Italy's current centre-left government - which mostly supports the project, except for the Green environment minister -suspended BG's authorisation pending an EIA. BG presented an eight-volume report last week. It could take up to a year for Rome to process.
In interviews, local officials convey a strong sense that, over the years of the postwar "economic miracle", Italy's central government and investors had ridden roughshod over sb. Brindisi and the south. Increasing assertiveness has come with the decentralisation of the past decade.
"A number of national and international companies saw this area as the soft underbelly of Italy to make profits," says Michele Errico, president of the province, prodding his own ample girth to make the point. "You didn't need much to buy everyone."
But the cultural climate had changed and the people had "revolted", whether their leaders were rightwing like the mayor, or from the left, like himself. "This project is madness, pure madness," he adds.
Terminals around the world are situated much closer to populated ares
Giorgio Battistini, current BG manager, is not giving up. Admitting that BG could have done better at informing the public, the group is preparing to engage. Maps, models and brochures are ready. Countering objections, they say the port will be blocked for at most one hour twice a week as tankers berth to unload their liquid gas into the regasifier.
BG points out that some terminals around the world are sited even closer to population centres and have never had a massive accident. They do not pollute; they can save fuel by providing cold energy to other industries, such as food storage; and they directly employ some 60 people.
No alternative site exists, says Mr Battistini, insisting that opposition is driven from the top by self-interested local politicians, not by the citizens of Brindisi.
Positions on both sides remain entrenched. In the end, BG Group might be saved from corruption accusations by the statute of limitations and from politicians by the next round of local elections, both in 2009.
In the meantime, Italy has come very close to running out of gas.

The Samuelson Letter

The Lee Anti-Recall Ads are still running on its backer station KAST-AM, with her own voice of support and personal accusation of persecution by the Citizens of Clatsop County against her. Is she going to wait till after the election to activate this new call? Did she ever think to call Lee and stop those ads as she is pleading for community unity, this, again, socalled plan of "Community Building"?

She makes light of and casts a perception of a lack of importance on "Public Safety" and "Accountability" of LNG Speculators from the mouth of the Columbia River to the proposed sites and back out to blue water, yet still votes to allow these projects to proceed, still, without any plan in place at all.

I would hope this is not the case but, by all appearances I'm seeing an effort to take focus off herself and decisions by reinstating the $13,600.00 District Attorney stipend to present the image that things are indeed getting better while the "LNG Juggernaut" moves on, now, unimpeded.

She's still embroiled in her own personal issues with a local School Board, yet settled but, it's very nice of her to forgive all of us for the implied misery thrust upon her by the community.

I would hope at some point in history, sooner than later, she will be forgiven by the community in total.

Nah, I don't see it but, I hope she proves me wrong.

"I want to put a call out to all residents of Clatsop County to stop and take a look at answers that we haven’t looked at yet.

Understand that what I’m sharing with you here and now is from my gut.

I don’t know about how the rest of you see your world, but I know and appreciate deeply that I don’t get to have this day ever again.

I believe we must move toward reconciliation and forgiveness for the betterment of our County.

So for me, that means I forgive those who have set out to harm me and those close to me.

Now that isn’t always easy, sometimes I need to remind myself every 5 minutes that I’m forgiving that act or person.

It is much easier to blame than take responsibility. We must get beyond personal attacks, he said she said, our egos, and what has become chronic negative news in our local newspaper.

I want to talk briefly about a painful issue we have all shared and that is the stipend for the District Attorney. Frankly this was a simple human resources issue that became a very hurtful campaign and ballot measure, which was ultimately defeated.

I voted against that ballot measure, but that does not mean that I believe we should not pay a stipend to the District Attorney.

The DA has submitted his performance measures. I originally voted to cut the stipend because performance measures were not done, now it is done, so I believe it should be put back in the budget.

I intend no disrespect to our budget committee by asking my fellow commissioners to reinstate the stipend, but like I said earlier we don’t get another today.

Living in a community of resentment, rather than one of forgiveness gets us nowhere.

Every day that we as elected officials (and I mean all elected officials) allow this negative behavior to continue more damage will be done and there will be yet more to forgive.
Ann Samuelson
Commissioner District 5"

LNG Tanker Trivia: 55 Hiroshima Bombs

55 Hiroshima A-Bombs - According to a study called Brittle Power, Energy Strategy for National Security, should the unthinkable happen, the energy content of ONE standard liquid natural gas tanker, at 22 billion gallons of expanded gas, is equivalent to .7 megatons of TNT ( that's 1.4 billion pounds of dynamite). To put it another way, the explosive force on one LNG tanker is equal, roughly, to 55 Hiroshima bombs!

Columbia RiverVision: Laurie Caplan Reports BOCC Meeting Yesterday - March 20, 2008 - "The Good News Is That It Is Not Over Yet!!!"

The good news is that it's not over yet.

More good news is at the end of this message.

Highlights of today's County Commissioner's meeting:

It was quite a spectacle to see our county commissioners tumbling all over themselves to help NorthernStar's LNG proposal overcome any obstacle that law or common sense presented.

It was acrobatic government at its worst.

It was the un-civics lesson you wouldn't want your kids to see.

It was appalling and disgusting.

Hard to believe we voted these oafs into office....Thanks to the many NO LNGers who filled the Boyington Bldg. meeting room today - it was a high energy, well-informed crowd - who had to restrain themselves from laughing at the absurdities and groaning at the sell-out of our county by the commissioners.

At the meeting Ann Samuelson suggested that our county's fire, safety, and law enforcement districts really don't need the safety and emergency resources and equipment they're asking for to respond to an LNG emergency; she suggested they're are just being greedy.

She said the districts' desire to have NorthernStar pay some of the costs is just taking advantage of the company, like winning the lottery.

Samuelson, Roberts, Hazen, and Lee loved the idea of making our districts negotiate w/ NorthernStar to get more "reasonable" amounts - they certainly did NOT want the county to make any demands on NorthernStar.

So are they worried about our safety or NorthernStar's balance sheet???

At the end of the meeting, Samuelson talked about the need for forgiveness and reconciliation.

That was so absurd coming from her that easily half the people at the meeting left, rather than listen to her babble on.

Samuelson has been such a dedicated advocate for NorthernStar and Bradwood - perhaps she can get them to hire her on....Richard Lee stormed over to the county attorney to demand that the county eject Columbia Riverkeeper attorney Brett VandenHeuvel after he raised a point of order that the chair, Patricia Roberts, refused to recognize.

He also brought up the District Attorney's stipend - perhaps in his mind this is connected to LNG???

And although county road standards require a 500-foot turning radius on curves, the commissioners are on their way to approving much lower standards on Clifton Road for NorthernStar - 275 feet on one curve and 350 feet at another.

Final vote about Clifton Road is April 9. I'm enraged that they are willing to endanger all the residents and others who drive on Clifton Road.

Would any of the commissioners drive on a below-standard Clifton Road at night in a storm with an 18-wheeler coming at them???

More good news: After the meeting, Don West announced that the Columbia River Business Alliance, the Northwest Property Rights Coalition, and Columbia Riverkeeper are initiating a referendum so the public can finally get a say about LNG!

Clatsop County voters will vote on this referendum in September. More information in Friday's Daily Astorian and from me as soon as I have the details/Onward! NO LNG IN OREGON!

Clatsop Commissioner Jeff Hazen: Simple Frustration Perhaps Or Threat Of Reprisal?

Unpolitically Correct - From "Jeff Hazen Is Commish" Blog

"Being politically correct is a tough job.

In today's society, people seem restricted from truly voicing their opinions in public for fear of reprisal.

Fortunately, with the growth of internet blogs, those that previously felt restricted now feel that they are able to project their opinions anonymously without fear of reprisal.

Elected officials often constrain their words in order to not offend anyone. It is a tough task to accomplish, holding back the words that you know in your heart are true.

At some point, however, the time will come and those words will flow without concern of the backlash that will ensue.

When you are constantly beaten down by a newspaper who's one agenda is to tear down consensus building, it is only a matter of time before the straw breaks the camel's back.

It takes great patience to sit and read or hear people attack your character.

Fortunately, truly good elected officials seem to grow thick skin and are able to repel these attacks. They are actually able to laugh inside at the attempts to discredit or take them down.

But even the thickest of skins can't hold up forever and the time comes to fire back and expose the reality of where these attacks are rooted from.

I thought of this recently upon the discovery of the two cannons from the USS Shark on our beach.

These cannons have been long buried on our coast and it was just a matter of time before they were uncovered from a series of storms.

Political storms also have a way of uncovering things and it is matter of time before the camel's back is broken and the salvo will begin from many different directions."

I asked Mr. Hazen if he wished to clarify his thoughts in more detail and he declined.

To Help You In Your Last Minute Decision Making:The Entire Contents Of Richard Lee's Facts Site

(This was Richard Lee's First Statement On The News Release Of The Recall Effort To Unseat Him)Richard Lee's statement to NCO and KAST -“As a lifelong resident of Clatsop County I truly believe I represent the silent majority of constituents who want and deserve economic growth, affordable housing, and family wage jobs, along with a fiscally responsible government in a livable and friendly community that your children, my children and our grand-children can continue to live in and enjoy. I am committed to this philosophy.”

Below is the content of his current site:

Click Here to read about the Motive Behind the Recall, an article by Tom Freel?

Richard Lee is being wrongfully accused. If you look at the accusations put forward by the group attempting to re-call Richard Lee, there is not a single factual assertion that can be substantiated.

Here are the Facts:
Accusation: Richard Lee has harmed the future of Clatsop County and its residents through the following actions—

Accusation #1: Squandering public funds by choosing to hire planning and management consultants and expensive attorneys but disregarding their professional advice and findings.
FACT: The County Commissioner’s hired manager is responsible for hiring consultants and attorneys, not the County Commission. The Board of Commissioners is presented findings from professionals on both sides of an issue, and then the Board makes a determination on the facts presented to them.

Accusation #2: Undermining common values, adopted plans, established policies, and regulations of the County.
FACT: These are tied to the responsibilities of the County Manager along with the entire Board, not an individual County Commissioner. There is no substance here and there are no specifics.

Accusation #3: Failing to be open and transparent in decision-making and development of policy, violating the spirit of the public meetings law.
FACT: An outright lie. These accusations are rooted in past political dealings with the DA and a group who seem to be working in collusion to oust Lee.

Accusation #4: Ignoring and failing to respond to the advice and concerns of paid staff, volunteer committees, and the public.
FACT: The accusers are not willing to be specific and are using these kinds of issues to paint a picture that is not true. Of course, Richard Lee is not in agreement with everyone he comes into contact with, but he has always been honest and forthright.

Accusation #5: Manipulating the membership of the Planning Commission in order to control the Planning Commission’s decisions and actions.
FACT: Making leadership decisions about Planning Committee members goes with the turf. There is no truth that any decisions related to replacing any Planning Commission member was done for any other reason than for the good of the County. Volunteer members for advisory committees are appointed by the full board of Commissioners, not a single Commissioner.

Accusation #6: Endangering the public and disregarding public safety by failing to require funding guarantees for emergency services and personnel from major industrial proposals.
FACT: This falls outside the scope of work of a Commissioner and is an outrageous claim that is simply not true. First of all, no single County Commissioner could ever be personally responsible for such actions since it takes a majority of the commission to ratify any policy. In addition, the management of county policies and administrative duties is the responsibility of the County Manager. Period.

Accusation #7: Creating a divisive environment that is acrimonious and counter-productive in doing the public’s business.
FACT: These views are from a small group of extremists and have been put forward maliciously and without merit for political gain. The accusers have no facts or substantiation or fact to back their claim.
Richard Lee is being Unfairly Attacked and Accused.Don’t Let Extreme Activists Get Away With it.

District 3 Resident And District Attorney Josh Marquis On The Richard Lee Recall

First is that despite repeated claims by Mr. Lee and his supporters, neither my wife, Cindy Price who narrowly lost the race to Mr. Lee by one half a percent of the votes in 2006, nor I have been involved in the Citizens for Open Government. They haven't sought my advice I haven't attended their meetings. As far as I can tell from reading their website they are a diverse group of people with many reasons to recall Mr. Lee.
That said I'm a resident of District 3 and have been for the 14 years I've been District Attorney.
I'm hopeful that Mr. Lee will be recalled. His conduct while a County Commissioner has been grossly inappropriate. I've attended many county commission meetings and in the three years he was chair there was little public discussion and it was obvious that private discussions had already decided many decisions.
There is no question now, based on statements Mr. Lee made to the Daily Astorian, that he was behind the ambush move last May to reduce my pay 15%. He helped appoint and nominated as chair of the budget committee Joe Baakensen. a man who has been trying to get my pay reduced since 1997.
As chair he had to authorize the hiring of a Portland law firm to try and keep almost 3000 voters from even being allowed to sign a petition trying to find a way to right the wrong he voted in favor of. A
His extended family funded most of the opposition to Measure 4-123 and not content with that Mr. Lee took the step of buying large display ads in the Daily Astorian making statements about 4-123 that were simply false. I felt so strongly that I purchased ads to respond although I am not a wealthy man as is Mr. Lee.
While Mr. Lee was chair I made repeated requests to meet with him and the commission and never got the courtesy of an response. When I appeared before the commission and asked a simple question; what do you want from me Lee refused to respond and when one county commissioner tried to ask the county manager questions, Lee gaveled him into silence. Mr. Lee authorized the expenditure of more thousands of taxpayer dollars to hire an attorney the main purpose of which was to prevent me from speaking to county management or the Board while Measure 4-123 was on the ballot.
Recall is not meant merely for felons, but also for conduct which holds the citizens in contempt. Mr. Lee says he represents the voters of District 3 yet voters in that district (as well as those in Commissioner Roberts' district) voted in FAVOR of Measure 4-123.
I’ve heard from a number of people, including you Tom, who said they didn’t vote for changing the charter but they thought taking away my pay was wrong.
Mr. Lee has been asked several community leaders to start trying to heal the divisions and he has refused. His conduct involving me and my office is just one of many valid reasons people have to recall Mr. Lee.
He deserves to be recalled.
Thank you

Clatsop County District Attorney Performance Measures Only Get A Couple Suggested Tweaks By County Manager For 2007/2008 Budget

This Performance Measures document has been presented to Clatsop County Manager Scott Derickson by Clatsop County District Attorney's Office for presentation to Clatsop County Board of Commissioners.

Click on each page to read its contents

Bradwood LNG: A Billon Cubic Feet Per Day!!

A Billion Cubic Feet of Regasified LNG, ready to be pumped into the pipeline, is what Bradwood Landing LNG Transfer/Storage Terminal is rated at per day.

A reasonable, projected cost and this may vary one way or the other, to get this LNG from the well to the terminal tank in Bradwood will be about $3.10 per One Thousand Cubic feet.

A reasonable, projected Gross Margin(Bradwoods Mark-Up Profit/Operating Costs) could be about $3.30 per One Thousand Cubic Feet.

(Note, these numbers are guesses on my part and are not qualified but I believe are very close with a few statistics following. As of Monday, quotes were AECO-C at $8.95MCF. To get gas from Alberta to Malin, OR, which is the only info I have, costs an additional $.35MCF. It's costing Canadian gas producers about $6MCF at the well head (some of the worst escalation in energy project cost worldwide is in that province; nat gas producers are having to pay costs influenced by the oil sands development. That means an LNG operator, right now, is looking at a gross margin of $3.30 at most. To be competitive, they have to make their project work within that amount.)

Ok, so lets dump the cost and deal with Gross Margin.

I billion(1,000,000,000) cubic fer per day divided by 1000 cubic feet equals 1,000,000 x $3.30MCF = $3,300,000.00 per pumping day.

Now, let's just say the we(Clatsop County) decided that, since our community is going to be subject to the mass impact on our infrastructure, life quality, and genreal public safety, we decide to negotiate a 2 cent ($0.02) per thousand cubic foot residual(This in addition to the projected property tax), taking 2 pennies out of their Gross Margin per 1000 cubic feet and equal $20,000 per pumping day x say, 260 pumping days a year, added to a county fund to "OUR", the citizens of Clatsop County's benefit.

Well, that would be an additional $5,200,000 a year revenue just for the privilege of using us and our assets to their benefit.

Add to this another $0.01 per 1000MCf ($0.01/2 for the property owner, $0.01/2 for the county the land is in) 24 hours a day for those property owners whose land those pipeline traverses. Can you imagine this number but, why not allow that pipeline the privilege as well for a little residual?

Now, when Oregon LNG/Pipeline raises its ugly head, they can play to the same deal so, double it all.

Now we have one sitting, and incredibly controversial County Commissioner who touts his private business acumen and four others, presumbaly with some leadership ability that continues to ignore this option as well as a bumbling Port Commission comfortable with a $39,000 a year lease for 65 years on a 90 acre piece of "OUR" land blind to it as well?

These people want to tamper with our lives and future, this is the least deal we should accept....The Least.

Would it make LNG a little easier to swallow

I invite these Energy Speculators to respond to this....Please!

Richard Lee - Has He Followed This Philosophy?

Richard Lee's statement to NCO and KAST -“As a lifelong resident of Clatsop County I truly believe I represent the silent majority of constituents who want and deserve economic growth, affordable housing, and family wage jobs, along with a fiscally responsible government in a livable and friendly community that your children, my children and our grand-children can continue to live in and enjoy. I am committed to this philosophy.”

If you believe Richard Lee has truly prospered and followed this philosophy, then your vote for his recall should be self-eveident.

Economic Growth?
Affordable Housing?
Family Wage Jobs?
Fiscally Responsible Government?
A Livable And Friendly Community?
Has he, in his part, fulfilled this philosophy?

Kelly Stearns To Run Against Roberts For Clatsop Board - District 2

Daily Astorian - March 12, 2008

Kelly Stearns, a Warrenton resident, got her paperwork in at the last minute to run for commissioner of Clatsop County District 2.

She said she wants to begin a discussion about issues like affordable health care and housing.

Stearns said she opposes the placement of a liquefied natural gas plant in the county.

"I'm interested in following the county's master plan, as opposed to approving things with variances," she said.

She will run against District 2 Commissioner Patricia Roberts, and another newcomer, Jim Scheller.

Clatsop County Sheriff Tom Bergin and Circuit Court Judge Paula Brownhill are unopposed for re-election this year.

Brownhill is an 18th District judge just completing a six-year term, and Bergin has served one four-year term as sheriff.

There will be one other race for the county Board of Commissioners.

District 4 will have no incumbent because Sam Patrick is stepping down.

Running for the seat will be Cary Johnson and Dirk Rohne.