LNG Debate: Foster Versus Desmond At Portland City Club

Is there a winner?

Download and listen to the Recoreded Debate.

You be the judge.

Click on title above to access the debate.

Are We Ready For A New Multi-Use Community Center?

Here's a concept for half of a community center

What should it encompass?

Where should it be, City or County?

How should it be funded?

So The Sandia Report Now Says 1 Mile Danger Zone You Say?

From the Sandia Report: 12 square meter breech of a tanker hold:
"Even with the increase in thermal hazard distances from pool fires for
the larger ships, the most significant impacts to public safety and property are still within
approximately 500 m of a spill, with lower public health and safety impacts at distances beyond
approximately 1600 m for near-shore operations.

See the white track on the map?"

That's the Shipping Channel going past Astoria

The Blue Hash Lines are the I mile radius off the center of the Shipping Channel and area to scale of the drawing.

From Lower_Columbia Lists:U.S. Department Of Energy Releases Revised Sandia Labs Report On LNG Spills Over Water

U.S. DOE Releases Analysis of Spills Over Water from Large LNG Carriers
Posted: July 25, 2008
The U.S. Department of Energy this afternoon released an updated report by Sandia National Laboratories, "Breach and Safety Analysis of Spills Over Water from Large Liquefied Natural Gas Carriers". The report assesses the hazards of potential spills over water from large LNG vessels. According to the report, the thermal hazard distances resulting from a spill from a large capacity LNG vessel at a near-shore facility are about 7-8% greater than the distances associated with a smaller vessel. Citing the continued development of LNG deepwater port projects, the report evaluates separately the hazards of potential LNG spills at offshore facilities. The full report is available on the Department of Energy's website.

From The Daily Astorian: Ex-Port Master Gearin Teams Up With Ken Leahy To Sell Sand For Profit From Sand Island

7/23/2008 11:37:00 AM

Sinking business rises from the sand . Controversy surrounds former Port director Peter Gearin’s new venture

By CASSANDRA PROFITA -The Daily Astorian

A new business started by former Port of Astoria director Peter Gearin is resurrecting a failed effort by the ports of Astoria and Portland to market the mounds of sand on Rice Island, the Columbia River dredge disposal site once known for its oversized Caspian tern colony....For Complete Article Click On Main Title Above

Brent Foster, Joe Desmond Engage On LNG On KMUN/ KTCB Sunday, July 27, 7-8pm

This ought to be good!

The Last DJ Session on KMUN/KTCB Sunday 7/27 7-8pm
will be a broadcast of the Portland City Club discussion
about lng with Brent Foster of Columbia Riverkeeper and
Joe Desmond of northern star. Tune in to 91.9 or 89.5 or
www.coastradio.org.

From Carol Newman

The Current State Of Coal Fired Electricty Production

Is Coal Fired Electricity the real answer over the complexity and expense of Gas Fired?

July 16, 2008

In a July 14 column, Jay Bookman questions how a Fulton County judge could possibly attempt to regulate carbon dioxide emissions when state and federal authorities are still trying to figure out whether and how to do so ("Georgia judge makes a clean choice for Planet Earth," @issue, July 14)......For Complete Article, Click On Title Above.

Looking Back On Bradwood Landing: October 15. 2007

STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OCTOBER 15, 2007 The staff recommends that the county board of commissioners take the following three actions: 1. Based on the findings in our staff reports of June 28, 2007, and August 23, 2007, and in this report, deny requests from Bradwood Landing to:
* Issue a conditional use permit for dredging in the Aquatic Conservation 2 (AC-2) Zone in accordance with LWDUO2 3.788(9);
* Re-zone 46.1 acres from AC-2 to Aquatic Development, amend the plan so as to change that area‟s designation under Goal 16 from “Conservation” to “Development,” and then allow dredging outright per LWDUO 3.744(10);
* Re-zone 5.35 acres of wetlands from Aquatic Natural (AN) to Marine Industrial (MI)), and amend the plan so as to change that area‟s designation under Goal 16 from “Natural” to “Development”;
* Find the proposed marine industrial development at Bradwood to be a small- to medium-sized development consistent with provisions in the Northeast Community Plan and the Bradwood Subarea Plan to limit the scale of development at Bradwood.
* Amend the Northeast Community Plan and the Bradwood Subarea Plan to delete text specifying that industrial development at Bradwood is limited to small- to medium-sized marine industrial plants.
* Find that the application complies with Statewide Planning Goal 16, Estuarine Resources.
* Find that the application satisfies all applicable standards from the LWDUO and the Clatsop County Standards Document.
2. Accept Bradwood Landing’s request to withdraw elements of the consolidated application requesting permits for soil disposal on-site.
3. Based on the findings adopted by the planning commission on September 28, 2007, approve all elements of the consolidated application from Bradwood not mentioned in paragraphs 1 and 2 above, subject to all conditions recommended in the September 28 findings.

A Hydrogen Generator? Very Interesting!!!

A Few Questions For Bradwood Landing's Northern Star Natural Gas

1. Where can one find the exact text for the in-place, USCG, LNG Tanker Transit Security Plan applicable to Northern Star Natural Gas's Bradwood Landing LNG Storage/transfer Facility 20 miles or so up the Columbia River?

2. Who will be responsible for the costs of all security/public safety personnel and logistics required to escort the LNG Tankers to NSNG's/Bradwood Landing site?

3. In the event an LNG Tanker, for whatever reason, should founder in any way and/or breech its cargo in transit to and from NSNG's Bradwood Landing, who will be liable for damages and costs?

4. Who will cover the cost and Public Safety training and the sophisiticated fire fighting equipment necessary to address an LNG Ignition and fire anywhere along the route of transit to and from NSNG's Bradwood Landing?

5. Where can one find the exact LNG Transfer/Storage Terminal Perssonel list and the specific training and background requirements of each position?

Any more questions you may have that have not been answered?

I'll add more as they come to mind but, let's hear about your concerns.

Young mayor juggles school, parenthood, waitressing

Elkton’s 27-year-old mayor is a waitress, student and mother of two (with one on the way)

Karen McCowan - The Register-Guard

ELKTON — It was easy to pick Mayor Rebecca Swearingen out of a crowd of officials at a recent state event showing off a new bridge east of town: She was the young, very pregnant one with the wraparound shades, the ponytail and the flip-flops.....For Full Story Click On Title Above

Hurry! Got a Band? Want To Win $500.00? Astoria Regatta Needs a Few Bands For Their Battle Of The Bands

Regatta Square Battle of the Bands

August 8 & 9, 2008

Hello Bands!

Below I’ve outlined my plan for the Regatta Square Battle of the Bands.

*6 – 7 bands, 40-minute sets from 2:00pm until 7 or 8pm. Quick Release will be the house band on Friday 8pm-10pm and Saturday 8 or 9pm-11pm.

*Video-tape the 2nd song for each band – make sure it’s your best one! For this song only, it must be an original song. The recordings will be put up on AstoriaRocks.com, along with a poll.

*Online Voting from Sunday, August 10 thru Friday, August 15 at 5pm. There will also be ballots at the square. I will ask AstoriaRocks.com to allow only one vote per computer, to lessen the possibility of someone stuffing the ballot box.

*All bands will receive a participators plaque

*Winning band gets $500 – Will contact winner and arrange a time for presentation of check. Photo will be submitted to the Daily A for a story. Regatta and AstoriaRocks.com representatives will be included in the photo.

*Link www.astoriaregatta.org and www.astoriarocks.com online, with promotion on both sites.

*We will be using a sound system, amps, speakers & mic’s from North Coast Records, and a sound-tech will be available.

We believe this will not only provide great exposure for our local bands, but will help to promote www.AstoriaRocks.com to the general public who may not be aware of it if they don’t subscribe to the paper.

Please let me know at your earliest convenience if you can participate. Joni Marcks 503-325-3335

F.E.R.C. Bumps Bradwood From Agenda

A F.E.R.C. spokesperson,Tamara Young-Allen says that "The Commission" has stricken Bradwood Landing from its schedule of discussion items (A Federal License) this week claiming "The Commission" needed more time to review a number of new comments submitted since Thursday's meeting was scheduled.

From The Daily Astorian -Governor "K" Scolds FERC For "Fatally Flawed" Analysis

Saturday, July 12, 2008
2:49:00 PM

Governor scolds FERC for "fatally flawed" analysis

By CASSANDRA PROFITA - The Daily Astorian

Gov. Ted Kulongoski says federal energy regulators are working with a "fatally flawed and legally deficient" environmental analysis as they consider approval of the Bradwood Landing liquefied natural gas project.

With the project on next week's Federal Energy Regulatory Commission agenda, a final decision could be drawing near.

In a letter sent today, Kulongoski scolded FERC for moving toward approval with a flawed description of the project's impacts that ignores legal obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act......For Complete Article Click On Title Above

From "The Oregonian":FERC puts LNG terminal along Columbia on next week's agenda

The Move Surprises The Company, Oregon and Environmentalists

Friday, July 11, 2008

TED SICKINGER - The Oregonian Staff

Federal energy regulators will consider and possibly vote Thursday on whether to approve the proposed Bradwood Landing liquefied natural gas terminal, located about 20 miles east of Astoria on the Columbia River.

The possible vote by the five-member Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C., is coming earlier than state leaders, opponents of the project and even Bradwood's backers expected.

The commission just issued its 700-page final environmental impact statement on the project last month. And under the agency's administrative rules, Thursday's meeting is the first in which the commission is allowed to vote on the project....For Complete Article Click On Title Above

Senate Seeker Merkley(D) Says Let The States Site LNG!!

7/7/2008 11:26:00 AM


Hear Steve Forrester of The Daily Astorian interview candidate Jeff Merkley on KMUN radio's "After Deadline" show 9:30 a.m. Friday. The interview will also be available Friday on:(After Deadline Radio Show)

By JOE GAMM - The Daily Astorian

U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley(D) campaigned through the North Coast Friday with several key messages - including a belief that siting decisions for liquefied natural gas terminals should be made by the states not the feds.His other campaign themes were:• The U.S. needs to free itself of dependence on Middle Eastern oil.• Too many jobs are headed overseas.....For Complete Article Click On Title Above

Is Performance Based County Budgeting Working?

III. THE MUNICIPAL BUDGET
3.01 In contrast with accounting records which are retrospective, a budget is generally a projection of future revenues and expenditures. At a minimum, a budget is used to control financial transactions. However, in addition to controlling financial transactions, a budget should also be used as a management and planning tool. Work load and service goal objectives are objectives are included in the budget document.
3.02 Because governments allocate services, budgets are needed to plan for and control the receipt and expenditure of monies to meet these ends. Each government’s budgetary process is affected by numerous variables (e.g., the law; intergovernmental transfers; governmental structure; the regional and national economies; the nature of the service provided; and the personalities of the principal actors). These factors heavily influence the budget process and budgetary outcomes....We do have choices in Municipal Budgeting and I am not so certain "Perfomance Based Budgeting" Is Working For Us So Much As For County Management and BOCC.... For Complete Article Clisk On Title Above.

Hydro Power: The Potential Runs Past Us Everyday

Published: June 01, 2008 12:04 am

HYDROPOWER: RAPID RETURNS?

By Dan Miner - Niagra Gazette E-mail Dan

Several companies are eyeing spots on the Niagara River floor to place a new technology they say could produce hundreds of “green collar” jobs and clean electricity. Essentially, both Massachusetts-based Free Flow Power Corp. and Texas-based Hydro Green Energy want to install finely tuned mechanical water mills, or hydropower turbines, that could conceivably produce enough electricity to power all of the homes in Niagara Falls and then some.....For Complete Article Click On Title Above

From The Daily Astorian: "Back To D.A.Square One?: Budget Woes Might Affect DA's Personnel

Thursday, June 26, 2008 11:47:00 AM

County Commission OKs budget, hears about appeals process.

An old argument about how two positions in the Clatsop County District Attorney's office are funded - and the possibility they will be the first to be cut if there's a revenue shortfall - resurfaced during Wednesday night's regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners.

Commissioner Sam Patrick said he thought there was a conflict in the 2008-09 budget the Board was preparing to pass: That two recently hired staff for the district attorney would be the first to be cut. When the positions were moved from being paid for by timber revenue to the General Fund, they were exempted from the county policy to make public safety positions the last to be cut.....For Full Article, Click on Title Above.

From The Daily Astorian:Oregon Teachers Group To Charge Seeleys With Misconduct

Wednesday, June 18, 2008 11:34:00 AM

By KARA HANSEN - The Daily Astorian

JEWELL - The Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission is charging former Jewell School District superintendent John Seeley and his wife, Jewell School employee Laura Seeley, with misconduct.

The nature of the charges "remains confidential until the final outcome of the case," said Melody Hanson, executive assistant for the commission, the state body responsible for licensing Oregon teachers and school administrators and for taking disciplinary action when educators commit crimes or violate competency and ethics standards.

The case "has to work through its process at this point," she said Wednesday.....For Complete Article, Click On Title Above