Coos Bay NO LNG Part 2; Slip Dock Hearings
author: No LNG!
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Latest update from Coos Bay marine slip dock hearings (9/17), still time for public comment against LNG!
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PLEASE NOTE: Timeline for additional testimony on the Port's Marine Terminal for the LNG ships is as follows:
Oct 8th - Deadline for additional testimony for the Sept 17th Hearing on Oregon Gateway (LNG) Marine Terminal
Oct 15th - Deadline for applicants rebuttal
Oct 22nd - Deadline for responses by public to applicants rebuttal (Must be based on existing record)
Oct 29th - Deadline for applicants final testimony - (Must be based on existing record)
Nov 27th - Anne Corcoran Briggs submits her recommendation to the Coos County Commissioners
Dec 4th - Deliberations by the Coos County Commissioners
 http://www.theworldlink.com/articles/2007/09/18/breaking/doc46f0172c6bf50932136600.txt
LNG yields another lengthy meeting
By Alexander Rich, Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 2:34 PM PDT
COQUILLE - For a good part of its presentation at Monday's land use hearing, the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay argued its proposed marine terminal on the North Spit has nothing to do with liquefied natural gas.
During much of the following almost six hours, opponents of the project took pains to prove there is a link.
Some raised concerns about the potential environmental impacts of dredging a large area of Coos Bay shorelands to create a ship berth on the North Spit. But many fell back on the familiar arguments against the LNG import terminal.
As such, much was similar to the land use hearing on Aug. 28, when Jordan Cove Energy Project presented its case for building an LNG import terminal. Coos County hearings officer Anne Corcoran Briggs was again on the stage of the Coquille Community Building, listening to testimony before she writes a recommendation to the Board of Commissioners.
Those opposing the project greatly outnumbered proponents, by about 3-1. And the county was asked once more to rely on the expertise of state and federal agencies to ensure the project meets the county zoning and land development ordinance.
But a number of differences were readily evident. Most obvious was a much smaller audience than at the previous gathering. With fewer warm bodies, the energy that pervaded the previous meeting was diminished, along with the temperature. The smaller crowd did not speed up proceedings, however, as the hearing did not end
until about 9:45 p.m., nearly six hours after it started.
The port spent about an hour detailing its project. Executive Director Jeffrey Bishop spoke about how the project would provide economic stimulus, whether or not the LNG terminal winds up as the primary tenant.
Susan Tonkin, an engineering consultant, explained that about 5.6 million cubic yards of dredge materials would be removed to create the ship berth. Nearly all of it will be sand, which will potentially be deposited along the North Spit beaches facing the Pacific Ocean as well as at a site on former Weyerhaeuser Co. property.
Dredging will eliminate about 12 acres of intertidal area, though nothing will be removed from the existing deep-water channel as part of this project. About 31 acres of former pastureland, now tidal, would be protected as mitigation. Additional maintenance dredging of about 350,000 cubic yards would need to take place every three to four years at the ship berth, Tonkin said.
Frank Flynn, an attorney representing the port, completed the presentation by explaining how Indian artifacts would be protected during dredging and impacts to the environment would be minimized.
He noted that the original width of the slip dock was reduced by 87 feet to ensure a 50-foot setback to Henderson Marsh would be maintained. He also noted that the area of eel grass slated to be damaged had been lowered from 1.5 acres to 1.1. Finally,
he addressed the issue of Jordan Cove head on.
"Although Jordan Cove is dependent on the marine terminal for its project, the port is not dependent on Jordan Cove to build its marine terminal," he said. "They are the first group on the list to use the slip and it will be tailored to meet their needs. If the project falls through, then there would be another large consumer that
would step into Jordan Cove's shoes."
After three supporters of the project spoke about more jobs and greater shipping traffic, the opposition took its turn. Although Corcoran Briggs repeatedly encouraged brevity, speakers often spoke for more than 10 minutes - some as long as 20. Topics ranged from the prospect of idled fishing fleets waiting for LNG tankers
to pass, to a tsunami toppling the LNG container terminal, to school children and medical staff suffering injury following an accident.
Many complained about how the ship berth and LNG terminal applications were separated, requiring many people to travel long distances to attend both meetings.
In addition to having fewer numbers, opponents generally were from Coos County, with only four offering out-of-county addresses.
There also were several suggestions that the port and Jordan Cove were not being truthful about the size of ships that will come to port and how much dredging will occur.
Jody McCaffree, of North Bend, said the port's slip dock is unnecessary for the proposed cargo terminal or any other industry, except an LNG terminal.
"To say they aren't linked - follow the money. They are linked," she said. "The port is already functional without tearing up more tidelands.
Ruby Starr, of Coos Bay, took exception to the prospect of a Canadian-based company building an LNG terminal on land she claimed was at risk to erosion.
"Sand is sand. Tsunamis are tsunamis and liquefaction is liquefaction," she said, her voice rising with each point. "Nature is stronger than Canadian money. You are playing God and it will not work."
A commercial fisherman, Donald Conn of Coos Bay, played off the repeated mentions of the marine terminal as being a water-dependent industry, while expressing skepticism that the dredging would be effective.
"I am a surfer and we are very water dependent," he said. "The ocean doesn't like to be told what to do. It will do what it wants to do."
Coos Bay pediatrician Brian Gumbs said another industry that would suffer would be the medical field. Noting there are already problems recruiting and retaining physicians in rural areas, this task would be even harder in Coos Bay with an LNG terminal, he said.
"Physicians don't want to live in areas where their lives are in danger," he said. "It's the antithesis of health care."
Following the submission of testimony, attorneys for the port echoed those of Jordan Cove by suggesting most of the opponents' comments were off topic.
Corcoran Briggs did have some questions about the project, asking what would happen if the port were not allowed to put its dredgings on the North Spit beaches.
Attorneys responded by saying they would look at alternative sites, and if they needed to site it somewhere in county, they might need to come back with another application.
The hearings officer also inquired what purpose the county had when it seems most of the oversight will come from the state and federal level.
"The county will be an air traffic control operator and coordinate on the state and federal level," said attorney Mark Whitlow, who also represented Jordan Cove.
Corcoran Briggs also wanted to know about concerns raised by some that they would not be able to clam or use the area around the North Spit recreationally because of the dredging.
Flynn said there would still be opportunities to pursue these activities in the area, though he said use of that land was not an absolute right.
Following these comments, Corcoran Briggs said she would continue to accept written evidence, by way of the county's Planning Department, through Oct. 8. She said she would have a recommendation for the Board of Commissioners by Nov. 27. The board is tentatively scheduled to conduct deliberations on the matter Tuesday, Dec. 4.
http://www.theworldlink.com/articles/2007/09/18/breaking/doc46f0170a897a6699654110.txt
Written statements accepted
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 11:48 AM PDT
Written testimony will be accepted by the Coos County Planning Department until 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 8.
Those interested can submit testimony by mailing seven copies either to the Planning Department, Coos County Courthouse, Coquille, OR 97423; delivering it to;
Planning Deptartment
290 N. Central Ave.
Coquille, OR
or e-mailing to;
plansec [at] co.coos.or.us.
If e-mailing, the Planning Department will make seven copies
of the document at a cost of 50 cents per page billed to the person submitting the testimony. Planning staff also recommends calling to confirm the receipt of e-mails.
For more information, those interested can call the Planning Department at 396-3121
ext. 210. (or 756-2020 ext 210)
background info @;
http://citizensagainstlng.googlepages.com/
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Dear Coos County Council, 10/04/07
Am writing this public comment from out of state (CA) out of concern for
the safety of the residents of North Bend and Coos Bay, Oregon. My concern
is about the risks involved with the construction of a proposed Jordan
Cove Energy Project's LNG terminal slip dock on the north spit of Coos
Bay. After having visited the north spit of Coos Bay and the neighboring
Henderson marsh, my research finds this site to be unsuitable for several
reasons as listed below;
1) Slip dock is unsafe due to the tendency of sand dune terrain to shift
and subside in the event of an earthquake and/or tsunami following seismic
activity. Of specific concern is a Cascadia subduction seismic event, one
which the offshore Juan de Fuca oceanic plate subducts under the North
American continental plate and causes a potential magnitude 9 tsunami
offshore with less than an hour warning time before the wave makes
landfall (Atwater, et. al.). If an LNG ship was either entering or exiting
the terminal from the slip dock during this time, there would be a
possible and probable explosion if the ship's hull and/or LNG tanks are
compromised in their ability to keep the natural gas liquified at -260
degrees Fahrenheit.
2) The 50 feet above sea level elevation (+50) proposed by the Jordan Cove
Project planners is unsuitable in the event of land subsidence following
an offshore seismic subduction event. Fossil records indicate land
subsidence following Cascadian subduction events have occurred greater
than 20 ft. (-20) with waves of 30 feet above high tide (+6) norms (total
of +36) resulting in a total water depth of 56 feet above the north spit
surface (Kelsey, et. al.) Combining subsidence with the tsunami wave of
unknown height cancels out the +50 feet above sea level safety zone and
leaves the LNG facility vulnerable to flooding with unknown consequences
to the stored natural gas.
3) Henderson marsh is a unique tidal ecosystem that combines freshwater
marshlands with some tidally influenced sloughs, creating a mixed
freshwater and saltwater brackish habitat that is a needed rest stop for
migratory birds and resident birds, fish, mammals, etc.. Jordan Cove
Project planners forget that removal of Henderson marsh habitat requires
mitigation of replacement, and no other suitable site exists on the north
spit. In addition, the displacement of water from filling in the Henderson
marsh will only result in a greater tendency for flooding events as the
water can no longer percolate into the sand below.
4) Routine dredging operation needed to maintain entry to the slip dock
will adversely effect the eelgrass beds found throughout the Coos Bay
estuary. According to University of Washington estuary ecologist Charles
Simenstad, "Eelgrass [is] the [shallow-water] equivalent of the tropical
rainforest in terms of biodiversity." Eelgrass beds are vital ecosystem
habitats and form the base layer of the food pyramid that supports the top
predators valued by the fisheries industry (Solomon). Any potential jobs
provided by the LNG facility will be twice negated by jobs lost in the
fishing industry if the eelgrass beds disappear from excess dredging for
the slip dock. Coos Bay's future is more stable if they maintain a healthy
eelgrass based fisheries ecosystem than if they sacrifice their eelgrass
and fisheries for the instability of the Jordan Cove Energy Project's LNG
facility.
In addition, it is essential for the Coos County council and planning
commision to read the following articles provided below before making any
further decisions about the proposed JCEP LNG terminal. The book "Orphan
Tsunami of 1700" is also available to the public at the Coquille public
library.
Additional references;
website;
refers to book;
"The Orphan Tsunami of 1700" by Brian Atwater et. al. 2006, University of
Washington Press
website;
and
refers to articles;
"Geological Society of America Bulletin" March 2002 (v. 114 no.3 pg.
298-314) DOI: 10.1130/0016-7606
article title;
"Plate-boundary earthquakes and tsunamis of the past 5500 yr, Sixes River
estuary, southern Oregon"
by;
Harvey M. Kelsey, Robert C. Witter, and Eileen Hemphill-Haley
"Geological Society of America Bulletin" July 2005 (v. 117 no. pg.
1009-1032 DOI: 10.1130/B254
article title; "Tsunami history of an Oregon coastal lake reveals a 4600
yr record of great earthquakes on the Cascadia subduction zone"
by;
Harvey M. Kelsey (1), Alan R. Nelson (2), Eileen Hemphill-Haley (3) and
Robert C. Witter (4)
1 Department of Geology, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California
95521, USA
2 U.S. Geological Survey, M.S. 966, P.O. Box 25046, Denver, Colorado
80225-0046, USA
3 Department of Geology, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California
95521, USA
4 William Lettis and Assoc., Inc., Suite 262, 1777 Botelho Drive, Walnut
Creek, California 94596, USA
website;
refers to article;
Audubon 9/2003 "An Underwater Ark" by Christopher Solomon