We’ve won a partial victory in our efforts to stop Jordan Cove Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) Export Facility from endangering communities and trashing our rivers, forests, and climate.
Over the last year, hundreds of Oregon Wild supporters like you submitted comments to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) urging the agency to deny the project a 401 Water Quality Certification. DEQ agreed, denying the permit and stating that Jordan Cove failed to provide enough evidence that the state’s Clean Water standards would be met. However, the denial was issued “without prejudice,” which means that Jordan Cove will have another opportunity to resubmit its application.
DEQ laid out over 200 pages of evidence supporting the denial. Many of DEQ’s concerns relate to 49 miles of the pipeline route that traverse steep slopes in the Oregon Coast Range. This area exhibits unstable sandstone geology and construction of the pipeline will likely cause destructive landslides and water pollution. It will be difficult for the Jordan Cove project to overcome DEQ’s objections, but certainly not impossible. In the event a clean water permit is issued to Jordan Cove, the next decision point is the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which is now accepting public comments and can also deny the project.
You can take action here to submit comments to FERC, as well as the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Oregon Governor Kate Brown, and Oregon’s Senators, all of whom have opportunities to weigh in an oppose this project. In fact, Senator Jeff Merkley already has!
The Jordan Cove project already appeared to have been stopped twice before. We are cautiously optimistic that a third strike is imminent and will be fatal to this project, but must we must continue to be on guard.
