From Nehalem Political Action; LNG Alert

LNG ALERT

*Astoria, OR* The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission(FERC) released itsFinal Environmental Impact Statement(EIS) today which grossly failed toaddress concerns raised by community members, Oregon state agency andOregon's Governor regarding the Bradwood LNG terminal and pipeline.

Governor Kulongoski, Representative Wu and many others had called on FERC to prepare a new Draft EIS given significant changes in the design of the project and new information about its impacts.

FERC, however, not only refused to prepare a new draft EIS, but failed to respond to the most serious concernsraised about the inadequacy of the much-criticized draft EIS.

According to Brent Foster, Executive director of Columbia Riverkeeper, "It is really unbelievable to see FERC essentially dismiss the serious concerns raised not just by the public, but by virtually every State of Oregon agency that reviewed their initial analysis.

The Bush Administration's FERC wants to bury their head in the sand, approve the project and then leave Oregon and Washington to clean up the mess they have created.

"Brett VandenHuevel, attorney for Columbia Riverkeeper, blasted the FERCanalysis. "There are so many gaps in this EIS that FERC should really beembarrassed. They refused to consider in detail the impacts of the Palomar pipeline project that would connect to the NorthernStar LNG terminal andthey said they did not need to consider the actual global warming emissionsof this huge project. They don't take a hard look at impacts to salmon, and they've repeated the same faulty analysis of water quality, air quality, and economic impacts."

Greg Jacob of Oregon Chapter Sierra Club also criticized FERC's lack of analysis of key issues raised by a recent report by Oregon Department ofEnergy which concluded that Oregon does not need LNG. "FERC basicallyrefused to evaluate whether the project is needed, despite GovernorKulongoski's request that they do so and the State's recent report showing that LNG is unnecessary for our state. Oregon should not be forced toaccept a destructive, expensive project when better alternatives are readily available."

Cheryl Johnson, a Clatsop County school librarian and community organizer against LNG, added, "FERC never even pretended to listen to our concerns. They issued a shoddy analysis for this project and didn't account for very basic issues such as inadequate public safety and emergency responseresources. Concerns from community members and the cities of Warrenton and Astoria have fallen on deaf ears at FERC."

Gayle Kiser, president of a Cowlitz County group opposing the terminal and its pipeline, expressed anger at FERC's unwillingness to provide a clearpicture of the project. "The pipeline is proposed to cross our property, and we are appalled that FERC would put us at risk for a project that isclearly not needed. Worse yet, people along the Palomar pipeline areexcluded from this analysis despite the obvious connection between Bradwood and Palomar. We find the FEIS insulting, and we will continue to fight them on every level."

Opponents will file a written response to the FEIS this month.

* *Major issues raised by Governor Kulongoski, State of Oregon agencies andcommunity groups that were not addressed by FERC in the Final EIS include:

*1. Need for LNG*: Despite calls to consider whether or not there was aneed for LNG in Oregon or whether other alternatives could better meetOregon's energy needs, the Final EIS failed to consider whether there was aneed for LNG in Oregon. The Final EIS dismissed the recent report from theOregon Dept. of Energy finding that there was no need for LNG in Oregon andthat LNG was twice the price of other natural gas alternatives and hadsignificantly greater environmental impacts.

*2. Impacts on global warming*: FERC refused to consider the impacts thatthe proposed LNG project would have on global warming as a result of thesignificant carbon emissions and energy use needed to liquefy and ship LNGto Oregon from the Middle East and other foreign countries where itoriginates.

*3. Impacts to salmon: *State agencies from both Oregon and Washington aswell as Native American tribes strongly criticized the draft EIS's failureto adequately consider the impacts of the proposed project on Columbia Rive=rsalmon. The final EIS, however, failed to adequately study or analyze someof the most important impacts to salmon and all but ignored NorthernStar'srecent changes in the proposed project that would seriously increase impact=son salmon.

* **4. Pipeline impacts*: Because NW Natural's proposed 220-mile long Palomarpipeline would send gas from the Bradwood LNG project to theCalifornia-bound pipeline in eastern Oregon, many told FERC they needed toevaluate the impacts of this "connected" or "cumulative" action as requiredby the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). FERC, however, fails toanalyze in detail the impacts of the Palomar pipeline despite the fact itwould rip across hundreds of family farms in the Willamette Valley, crossover 290 streams and rivers, and leave a 40-mile clearcut across Mt. Hood.

*5. Threats to public safety: *Despite the federal governments own studiesshowing that communities such as Astoria could be leveled by a catastrophicfire in the event of an LNG tanker accident or terrorist attack, FERCrefused to provide any specifics about how many people would be killed orinjured in such an event, or evaluate how a city like Astoria, with fewemergency response resources, could cope with an LNG accident.

Posted by Chuck - Nehalem Political Action

California Water Law Curtailing New Development

By JENNIFER STEINHAUER

Published: June 7, 2008

PERRIS, Calif. — As California faces one of its worst droughts in two decades, building projects are being curtailed for the first time under state law by the inability of developers to find long-term water supplies.

Water authorities and other government agencies scattered throughout the state, including here in sprawling Riverside County, east of Los Angeles, have begun denying, delaying or challenging authorization for dozens of housing tracts and other developments under a state law that requires a 20-year water supply as a condition for building.
California officials suggested that the actions were .....For Full Article Click On Title Above

D.A Josh Marquis On June 5, 2008 LNG Referendum Hearing

After about an hour's arguments Wedneday afternoon by lawyers for Bradwood, Charles Hinkle of Portland, and from attorney Thane Tienson and Brent Vanderhuevel of Columbia Riverkeepers, and myself, Judge Cindee Matyas made a few changes to the proposed ballot title language that will appear on the September special election.

My job as District Attorney is to write as neutral and accurate as possible a 10-word caption,. 20- word question and no more than 175-word summary simply describing what voters are voting on. As I told Judge Matyas I felt that if both sides wanted changes I felt it was likely I had succeeded in being neutral in my language. The judge changed some phrases but agreed in part of points made by all parties. I have no issue with the changes Judge Matyas made, my role under Oregon law is simply to try to draft language. That language is now settled and it will be up to voters.

Port Meeting Minutes

March 11, 2008? and here it is June 5, 2008

Is there something they don't want us to know right away?

Any wonder critical financial information is not avaialble?

Any wonder there is a major lack of confidence in Port Operations?

Long Beach, Cal. LNG Project Killed!!!

Long Beach LNG officially dead! We did it!!!

Afterspending seven years and $80 million trying to bring aliquefied naturalgas import terminal to the Port of Long Beach, Sound EnergySolutions (SES)has finally closed its offices.

This is yet another victory fortheenvironment facilitated by the dedication of Sierra Club andvolunteers forthe Great Coastal Places Campaign! As you know, LNG's highlife-cyclegreenhouse gas emissions, severe environmental impacts, andstaggering.....For Complete Article Click On Title Above

From The Daily "A" - LNG Referendum Supporters Get Ample Signatures Into County Elections!

The Daily Astorian

Backers of a referendum on Clatsop County's approval of the Bradwood Landing liquefied natural gas project submitted 1,255 signatures to the county clerk this morning - more than twice the 598 signatures needed to put the issue on the ballot in September.

County residents Marc Auerbach, Debbie Twombly and Don West filed the ballot referendum petition in April to challenge the Clatsop County Commission's decision to change county law and allow gas pipelines from LNG terminals to run through lands zoned for open space, parks and recreation.

Clatsop County Citizens for Commons Sense, the group formed to spearhead the referendum effort, gathered signatures Friday at multiple locations throughout the county......For Full Story Click On Title Above

Massachusetts Bay, MA USCG Security Plan: Where's Ours?

From: Trading Markets .Com

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary security zone around Liquefied Natural Gas Carriers (LNGCs) approaching, engaging, regasifying, disengaging, mooring or otherwise conducting operations at the deepwater port facility in Massachusetts Bay, the Northeast Gateway Deepwater Port. The zone temporarily closes all waters of Massachusetts Bay within a five hundred (500) meter radius(1650 Foot Radius) of LNCG vessels in the vicinity of the position 42 [degrees] 23' N, 070 [degrees] 36' W. The security zone is necessary to protect LNGCs calling on the deepwater port from security threats or other subversive acts. Entry into this zone is prohibited during the closure period unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Boston, Massachusetts. .........For Full Article CLick On Title Above

NewsMax: Obama Gets The Nomination

Breaking from Newsmax.com

AP: Obama Clinches Democratic Nomination, It's Over for HillaryBarack Obama effectively clinched the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday, based on an Associated Press tally of convention delegates, becoming the first black candidate ever to lead his party into a fall campaign for the White House. For the Full Story — Go Here Now.
Special: The Oprah-Obama Connection You

City of Astoria's Letter To F.E.R.C.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICABEFORE THEFEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION
Bradwood Landing LLC ) Docket No. CP06-365-000Northern Star Energy LLC ) Docket Nos. CP06-366-000CP06-376-000 CP06-377-000MOTION FOR LEAVE TO RESPOND AND RESPONSE, INCLUDING COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN, BY THECITY OF ASTORIA, OREGON

Movant-Intervenor the City of Astoria, a municipal corporation, through its City Commission, the duly elected governing body for the City of Astoria (the “City” or "Astoria"), hereby submits its response to Applicants', Northern Star Energy LLC and Bradwood Landing LLC, March 25, 2008 and April 16, 2008 Motions and Response to Comments, and its comments on the Proposed Emergency Response Plan filed March 25, 2008.BackgroundAs described in the DEIS, the City of Astoria, Oregon is a municipality consisting of approximately 6.2 square miles in geographic jurisdiction located at the mouth of the Columbia River. The City’s year round population is currently 10,000 however based on proposed development plans this is expected to increase over the next several years. The summer time population can exceed 15,000. The City is directly and significantly impacted by the proposed vessel transits carrying liquefied natural gas ("LNG") to the proposed Northern Star Natural Gas LLC ("NSNG") facility at Bradwood Landing, located at approximately river mile ("RM") 38 upstream. .....For Entire Letter Click On Title Above

Banned From CCM's Dried Salmon Message Board?

I am honored.

Obama?, McCain? - This Lady Is Pissed!

Just Click On Title Above!

From The Daily "A" - Ford Foundation Grant Will Enhance Astoria's Development Community

By SANDRA SWAIN - The Daily Astorian

Astoria has earned national recognition for its efforts to promote "a sense of place" at the mouth of the Columbia River.It was announced Monday that it will be the focus of a new initiative from The Ford Foundation, the New York-based institution which is one of the world's leading philanthropical organizations.

Details were revealed at an early evening press conference featuring Mayor Willis Van Dusen, members of the Astoria City Council and other key leaders.

The program seeks to find consensus on the direction and growth of a community while making sure that the needs of vulnerable people - like elderly and low-income residents - are not overlooked.

The project comes under the umbrella of the Environmental Simulation Center in New York, a nonprofit group specializing in community development which is supported by the Ford Foundation.....For Full Article, Click On Title Above.

The Daily Astorian Wins Six Regional Awards For Writing

The Daily Astorian won six awards in the annual Society of Professional Journalists regional contest, including three first-place trophies.

The contest was open to newspapers in five Western states and awards were for work published in 2007.

Reporter Cassandra Profita earned two first-place trophies, one in the government reporting category for her three-part series on the financial troubles of the Port of Astoria and another in the lifestyles category for a story about the annual Fisher Poets Gathering.

She also placed third in science reporting for a story about a planned undersea laboratory in the Pacific Ocean......For Complete Article Click On Title Above

From The Daily "A": Port Narrows Exectuive Director Search To Six

Interim director and two men with Tillamook links make final cut to lead agency

By CASSANDRA PROFITA - The Daily Astorian

The Port of Astoria Commission has narrowed its search for an executive director to six candidates, one of whom is the Port's acting director Ron Larsen.

The other five candidates are:

• Jack Crider of Lincoln City, former Port of Tillamook Bay executive director;

• Dakota Chamberlain of Auburn, Wash., a Port of Seattle project manager;

• George Cress of Longview, Wash., Port of Longview real estate and planning director;

• Robert Van Borssum of Tillamook, Port of Tillamook Bay Executive Director; and

• Dr. J. Lee Hutchins of Chicago, a senior program manager for the national environmental consulting firm ENSR Corp.

The Port Commission has scheduled two executive sessions this week to discuss the executive director hiring process. The board is planning to interview the six candidates and select a director this month......For Complete Article Click On Title Above

A Clatsop County Board Of Commissioners Meeting To Honor Richard Lee?

Wasn't he recently recalled for his failure in leadership and acute loss of confidence by his constituents in District 3 by a 2 to 1 margin?

And now this Commission wishes to honor him?

For what, if I may be so naive to ask?

Josh Marquis Op-Ed From The Oregonian: Debunking Myths About Measure 11

I n 1994 Oregon voters overwhelmingly passed Measure 11. An effort to repeal the law in 2000 was rejected by a resounding 75 percent of voters. You'd think the message would be clear: Oregonians want there to be truth in sentencing. Still, opponents of the law want to take another swipe.
Oregonians are again facing an onslaught of propaganda that seeks to persuade us to believe several myths, frightful urban legends that have been pressed in many a newspaper editorial, including in The Oregonian.
First myth: Measure 11 squanders our children's future by turning Oregon into a penal colony. We spend more money locking up people than educating them. One recent study by the Pew Center found that Oregon spends more money on prisons than higher ed -- more than any other state.
The truth: About 58 cents of every state tax dollar funds education (K through higher education), and about 9 cents funds our corrections departments and facilities. Barely 2 of those 9 cents are spent on Measure 11 offenders. The Pew Center study included the nearly quarter-billion dollars the state of Oregon spends to fund local probation -- a cost that's picked up by municipalities and counties in most other states -- and it didn't include the state's support of Oregon Health & Science University or its many community colleges.....For Complete Article Click On Title Above.

The Media: County Ponders Who Can And Who Can't Attend Certain Meetings

By JOE GAMM - The Daily Astorian

Who would make the list? That might be the question on the minds of people who would hope to be considered "media" by the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners.The Board considered implementing a media policy in a work session Wednesday evening.Commissioner Jeff Hazen said he hoped to give people an opportunity to comment on the proposed policy, but nobody came to the meeting to hear the Board's considerations. But the Board intends to hold a public hearing concerning establishment of a media policy.Under Oregon law, reporters from media organizations that regularly cover agencies may sit in on executive sessions, although they may not report what happens there. The emergence of Web bloggers and other more fragmented media sources for news has raised questions statewide about whether local newspaper and radio reporters should be the only ones allowed to sit in on executive sessions.Commissioner Ann Samuelson said Columbia County had struggled with determinations of who qualifies as media....For Full Story Click On Title Above

Associated Press Statement Of Ethical Principles

(Adopted 1994 as revision to APME Code of Ethics)

These principles are a model against which news and editorial staff members can measure their performance. They have been formulated in the belief that newspapers and the people who produce them should adhere to the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct.

The public's right to know about matters of importance is paramount. The newspaper has a special responsibility as surrogate of its readers to be a vigilant watchdog of their legitimate public interests.

No statement of principles can prescribe decisions governing every situation. Common sense and good judgment are required in applying ethical principles to newspaper realities. As new technologies evolve, these principles can help guide editors to insure the credibility of the news and information they provide. Individual newspapers are encouraged to augment these APME guidelines more specifically to their own situations.

RESPONSIBILITY
The good newspaper is fair, accurate, honest, responsible, independent and decent. Truth is its guiding principle.
It avoids practices that would conflict with the ability to report and present news in a fair, accurate and unbiased manner.
The newspaper should serve as a constructive critic of all segments of society. It should reasonably reflect, in staffing and coverage, its diverse constituencies. It should vigorously expose wrongdoing, duplicity or misuse of power, public or private. Editorially, it should advocate needed reform and innovation in the public interest. News sources should be disclosed unless there is a clear reason not to do so. When it is necessary to protect the confidentiality of a source, the reason should be explained.
The newspaper should uphold the right of free speech and freedom of the press and should respect the individual's right to privacy. The newspaper should fight vigorously for public access to news of government through open meetings and records.

ACCURACY
The newspaper should guard against inaccuracies, carelessness, bias or distortion through emphasis, omission or technological manipulation.

It should acknowledge substantive errors and correct them promptly and prominently.
INTEGRITY
The newspaper should strive for impartial treatment of issues and dispassionate handling of controversial subjects. It should provide a forum for the exchange of comment and criticism, especially when such comment is opposed to its editorial positions. Editorials and expressions of personal opinion by reporters and editors should be clearly labeled. Advertising should be differentiated from news.
The newspaper should report the news without regard for its own interests, mindful of the need to disclose potential conflicts. It should not give favored news treatment to advertisers or special-interest groups.
It should report matters regarding itself or its personnel with the same vigor and candor as it would other institutions or individuals. Concern for community, business or personal interests should not cause the newspaper to distort or misrepresent the facts.
The newspaper should deal honestly with readers and newsmakers. It should keep its promises.
The newspaper should not plagiarize words or images.

INDEPENDENCE
The newspaper and its staff should be free of obligations to news sources and newsmakers. Even the appearance of obligation or conflict of interest should be avoided.
Newspapers should accept nothing of value from news sources or others outside the profession. Gifts and free or reduced-rate travel, entertainment, products and lodging should not be accepted. Expenses in connection with news reporting should be paid by the newspaper. Special favors and special treatment for members of the press should be avoided.
Journalists are encouraged to be involved in their communities, to the extent that such activities do not create conflicts of interest.
Involvement in politics, demonstrations and social causes that would cause a conflict of interest, or the appearance of such conflict, should be avoided.
Work by staff members for the people or institutions they cover also should be avoided.
Financial investments by staff members or other outside business interests that could create the impression of a conflict of interest should be avoided.
Stories should not be written or edited primarily for the purpose of winning awards and prizes. Self-serving journalism contests and awards that reflect unfavorably on the newspaper or the profession should be avoided.

© 2008 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Natural Gas In Pause Mode

May 29, 2008

By CLIFFORD KRAUSS - The New York Times

CAMERON PARISH, La. — The cost of a gallon of gas gets all the headlines, but the natural gas that will heat many American homes next winter is going up in price as fast or faster.
That fact makes the scene in the languid, alligator-infested marshland here in coastal Louisiana all the more remarkable.
Only a month after Cheniere Energy inaugurated its $1.4 billion liquefied natural gas terminal here, an empty supertanker sat in its berth with no place to go while workers painted empty storage tanks.
The nearly idle terminal is a monument to a stalled experiment, one that was supposed to import so much L.N.G. from around the world that homes would be heated and factories humming at bargain prices.
But now L.N.G. shipments to the United States are slowing to a trickle, and Cheniere and other companies have dropped plans to build more terminals. ....For Complete Article Click On Title Above

Housing Prices Tumbling @14% - Vegas 25%?

Andrew Clark - in New York - The Guardian
Wednesday May 28 2008

The fog of misery enveloping the American housing market has thickened with the sharpest drop in property prices for 20 years, leaving households in worst hit cities facing the prospect of their homes almost halving in value over a year.
Prices for US family homes fell 14.1% year-on-year during the first quarter according to the closely watched S&P/Case-Shiller index. Out of 20 cities in the survey, 19 reported a fall.
"There are very few silver linings in the data," said David Blitzer, chairman of the S&P index committee. "Most of the nation appears to remain on a downward path."
The downturn has left hundreds of thousands of people unable to refinance unaffordable sub-prime mortgages - a phenomenon widely viewed as one of the root causes of the credit crunch which has wreaked havoc through global markets......For A Read Of The Total Article Click On Title Above!