Field Checking the Proposed Jordan Cove LNG Pipeline Crossing on the Rogue
Last week, the Rogue Riverkeeper team took a socially distanced trip to get out on the river and check out the proposed site of the Jordan Cove LNG pipeline crossing near Shady Cove.
The cold, clear water and the other boaters floating past made it hard to imagine that this could ever be the site of a massive Horizontal Directional Drill (HDD) cutting through bedrock deep below the river to build a 36-inch, high pressure fracked gas pipeline.
However, if Pembina (the company behind the project) gets its way, that’s exactly what could happen here and at other iconic rivers in southwestern Oregon, including the Klamath, South Umpqua, and Coquille Rivers. In the Upper Rogue watershed alone, the proposed pipeline would cut through, dredge, or blast approximately 88 waterways.
The Rogue Riverkeeper team checks out the site of the proposed Rogue River crossing for the Jordan Cove LNG project. The proposed crossing is just downstream from Trail Creek and above Shady Cove.
With your help, we’ve successfully pushed back against this project for the past 15 years. And we’re not stopping now.
This spring was a critical time for stopping Jordan Cove LNG. In February, the state of Oregon denied the Coastal Zone Management Act permit for the project. Soon after in March, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued its conditional approval for the project. The approval is contingent upon a number of conditions that must be met by Pembina, including receiving approved Clean Water Act and Coastal Zone Management Act permits that have been denied by the state.
A view upstream along the Rogue River towards Trail Creek where the proposed Jordan Cove LNG pipeline would cross the river.
Reversing Jordan Cove LNG Local Land Use Approval.
On July 17th, the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) reversed the City of North Bend's land-use permit approval to dispose of dredging materials. This successful legal challenge was led by Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition (represented by Crag Law Center) and local Coos Bay group Citizens for Renewables.
Challenging FERC’s Conditional Approval in the Courts.
Right now, we’re waiting to see what happens with our legal challenge to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). We joined with Rogue Climate and 11 other organizations to challenge the FERC conditional approval for the project on May 27th. On June 10th, the state of Oregon submitted their own legal challenge over FERC’s conditional approval.
Protesting Pembina’s Claims to Undermine the State of Oregon’s Clean Water Act Authority.
In June, we joined with multiple other organizations to submit a protest to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regarding Pembina’s claim that the state of Oregon waived its authority under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. This is a clear effort by Pembina to overturn the state’s denial of the 401 permit, which it issued in May 2019.
With your support, we are also working to stop implementation of new regulations that weaken state and tribal authority to protect water resources under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. If this rule is implemented, it will become much easier for Pembina to reapply and possibly get approval for a Section 401 permit that the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality denied last May.
Defending the Coastal Zone Management Act Permit Denial from State of Oregon.
Pembina is also challenging the state of Oregon’s denial of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) permit for the project by requesting that the U.S. Secretary of Commerce override the state’s denial. It is critical that the state hears your support for challenging any federal overrides of state denials.
With your support, we will continue fighting for the Rogue and the health of local communities by challenging FERC’s conditional approval and defending state permit denials.
We will continue to uphold the existing permit denials from the state of Oregon and challenge any federal approvals. Governor Kate Brown has also pledged to use Oregon’s legal resources to defend the State’s authority to protect public safety, health, and the environment.
We can’t do this without your support. Any amount you can donate helps to support our efforts to challenge federal approvals and uphold state denials in the courts. Together, we can stop this harmful project once and for all.