Salem rally opposes LNG plants in Oregon
Scroll to Bottom of Page for Photo Gallery from Rally
Click here for video clip from rally.
KVAL News
SALEM - It's quickly becoming the hot-potato energy issue in Oregon.
Developers have plans for three liquefied natural gas terminals in the state, one of them at North Bend.
Project opponents converged on Salem today (Feb. 6) to make their voices heard.
"It doesn't make any sense. We want clean jobs."
Carol
Fischer of Bandon and 200 others like her arrived on the capitol
steps--all united against LNG. They're fired up against 3 proposed
terminals in Oregon.
One would be in Coos Bay-North Bend and two
others in the Columbia Gorge. The terminals would take imports of
supercooled natural gas, reheat the liquid into gas and send it down
pipelines.
Past published reports indicate Governor Ted
Kulongoski has expressed cautious support for the south coast facility,
and that had people at the rally upset. Carol Fischer told KVAL, "The
governor of Washington says no-don't put it in our front yard, and what
happened to Kulongoski? He's just waiting to see what happens?"
Supporters
of the LNG terminals say the gas imports are vital for Oregon's energy
resources, but all the folks here at the rally completely disagree.
High
school junior Matt Hundley from Gales Creek made the trip. He says the
gas pipeline would run right through the family's 5 acre farm.
"It's all we have out there. They're unconstitutionally seizing land with eminent domain," explains Hundley.
Adds
M.A. Hanson of Myrtle Creek, "You're talking eminent domain; using
eminent domain on my neighbors, and everybody in Oregon is my neighbor.
This is my state."
Top democrats lent their support to the rally and accepted about 4,000 signatures of people against the projects.
Jody
McCaffree heads the committee Citizens Against LNG and says, "If they
would have done an environmental impact statement as required by
N-E-P-A, we would probably not be here today, because these terminals
are not needed."
Opponents hope a federal energy review process
will shed a more critical eye on the projects. Rally member Mary
Margaret Muenchrath points out, "Here we're bringing in this kind of
LNG energy from Indonesia and other places. We don't need it; we don't
want it."
Governor Kulongoski has called for more analysis of potential environmental impacts.
Secretary of State Bill Bradbury addresses the crowd.
The Raging Grannies serenaded the rally (thanks for the plug, Grannies!)
RACE coordinator Rory Cox addresses the rally.
All photos by Sarah Kagan/Pacific Environment. | 
