Monday,March 31,2014 • The World • A3
South Coast Executive Editor Larry Campbell • 541-269-1222, ext. 251
“Wagon Wheels-A-Rollin” 7 p.m., Sprague Community Theater, 1202 11th St. SW, Bandon. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for children. 541-3472506
TUESDAY, APRIL 1 Books are Fun Sale 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Coquile Valley Hospital, 940 E. Fifth St., Coquille. 541-396-1062 Town Hall with state Reps. Caddy McKeown and Tim Freeman, and Sen. Arnie Roblan 6-7:30 p.m., Umpqua Discovery Center, 409 Riverfront Way, Reedsport. Dolphin Players Play Reading 7 p.m., North Bend Public Library, 1800 Sherman Ave., North Bend. 541-808-2611
SATURDAY, APRIL 4
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2 Books are Fun Sale 7 a.m.-2 p.m., Coquile Valley Hospital, 940 E. Fifth St., Coquille. 541-396-1062 Business Connection Luncheon 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., The Mill Casino-Hotel, Salmon Room, 3201 Tremont St., North Bend. No host buffet $12. Guests: TBA. RSVP, 541266-0868.
FRIDAY, APRIL 3 Pool Volleyball for Seniors 10-11:30 a.m., North Bend Public Pool, 2455 Pacific Ave., North Bend. Fee $2. Refreshments served. 541-756-4915 Downtown Coos Bay Wine Walk 5-7:30 p.m. Start at Coos Bay Visitor Information Center, 50 Central Ave. Map and glass $10. Proceeds benefit Crossroads Community Cafe and Coos County League of Women Voters. 541-269-1222 ext. 248
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South Slough Birding 8-10 a.m., South Slough Reserve Interpretive Center, 61907 Seven Devils Road, Charleston. Maximum of 15, $1 each. Dress for weather, bring scopes and binoculars. Guided, $1 each birder. Register at 541888-5558 Brenda O’Dell Photo/Art Opening 2-4 p.m., South Slough Interpretive Center, 61907 Seven Devils Road, Charleston. Family Fun Day and Run for the Kids 10 a.m.-2 p.m., John Topits Park Empire Lakes, Hull Street, Coos Bay. Registration begins at 7:45 a.m. Run/walk begins at 8:30 a.m. and 5K begins at 9:15 a.m. Free shuttle from Newmark Center. Squatch Day 2014 11 a.m.-4 p.m., TNT Market, 899 D. St., Eastside. Squatch photos, balloons, raffles and an expert recording data and educating. Elkhorn BBQ. A Mr. MHS fundraiser to benefit Share Bear Snack Pack. Jesse Lynch’s Jazz 101 3 p.m., Marshfield High School auditorium, 10th and Ingersoll, Coos Bay. Tickets $15 available at www.cccca.com or 541-269-1272. Free Roller Skating 3-5 p.m., Bay Area Church of the Nazarene, 1850 Clark St.,
Coos Bay. Roller skates are provided. All ages welcome. 541-756-2004. Friends of Yaquina Lighthouses’ Laughs for Lighthouses 5 p.m., Newport Performing Arts Center, 777 W Olive St., Newport. Tickets are $5, admits one adult and one child, additional childrens’ tickets, $5 each. Raffle, door prizes, games and comedy show by The Zaniac, Alex Zerbe. 541-265-ARTS or www.coastarts.org Mr. Bulldog Pageant 7 p.m., North Bend High School gymnasium, 2323 Pacific Ave., North Bend. “Wagon Wheels-A-Rollin” 7 p.m., Sprague Community Theater, 1202 11th St. SW, Bandon. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for children. 541-3472506 Live music with Still Standin’ 9 p.m.-1 a.m., Pitch’s Tavern, 325 Sixth St., Port Orford. 541-332-9313
TUESDAY, APRIL 8 Armchair Film Adventure — “Vietnam: In the Land of the Rising Dragon” 2 p.m., Coos Bay Public Library, 525 Anderson Ave., Coos Bay. Refreshments served. 541-269-1101 Elena Passarello and Scott Nadelson Oregon Book Award Authors’ Readings 7 p.m., North Bend Public Library, 1800 Sherman Ave., North Bend. www.literary-arts.org Bite of the Bay 6-10 p.m., The Mill CasinoHotel Salmon Room, 3201 Tremont, North Bend. Pacific Cove Humane Society fundraising event. Fine food and drink. Advance tickets are $35 and $40 at the door. Tickets are available at Reese Electric, KoKwell Gifts, The Art Connection, Huggins Insurance, Winter River Books and Century 21 Best Realty in Coquille. 541-404-6704.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9 SUNDAY, APRIL 6 Country-Gospel Jubilee Concert 6-7:45 p.m., Shoreline Community Church, 1251 Clark St., North Bend. Featured: Tom and Debbie Trammel and a sing-along featuring The Jubilee Band. 541-5219596 “Wagon Wheels-A-Rollin” 7 p.m., Sprague Community Theater, 1202 11th St. SW, Bandon. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for children. 541-3472506
Business Connection Luncheon 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., The Mill Casino-Hotel, Salmon Room, 3201 Tremont St., North Bend. No host buffet $12. Guests: TBA. RSVP, 541266-0868. Celtic Heritage Alliance Volunteer Meeting 6-7:30 p.m., Newport Public Library McEntee meeting room, 35 NW Nye St., Newport. Those interested in volunteering at the HIghland Festival and Games in June should attend. www.newportcelticfestival.com
What’s Up features one-time events and limited engagements in The World’s coverage area. To submit an event, email events@theworldlink.com.
LNG battle: ‘A fight worth fighting’ BY SAM WHEELER Medford Mail-Tribune Last week’s federal goahead issued for the Jordan Cove Energy Project’s liquefied natural gas terminal near Coos Bay and 230-mile suppipeline across ply southwestern Oregon wasn’t welcome news for those who have opposed the project since its inception in 2007. The U.S. Department of Energy on Monday issued a conditional permit allowing the facility to export 800 million cubic feet of natural gas per day for 20 years to countries with whom the United States does not have established free trade agreements. It was important but insubstantial progress, considering the project’s laundry list of state and federal permissions that still must be obtained before any construction begins. There also are a handful of groups in and outside Southern Oregon who hope the project never breaks ground. Among them are Ashlandbased environmental conservation organizations Rogue Riverkeeper and Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands the Western Center, Environmental Law Center, the Sierra Club, the community group Citizens Against LNG and the Winston-based grassroots organization Landowners United. These groups and others have been challenging the project publicly and legally every step of the way - and there is no plan to ease off. “The Department of Energy’s conditional approval was certainly something we were expecting and not surprised by,” said Forrest English, program director for Rogue Riverkeeper. “I think it’s safe to say we will challenge the upcoming environmental analysis, but we’ll be involved in every step of the way.” Energy The Federal Regulatory Commission still must issue an environmental impact statement on the Jordan Cove project to prove it weighted potential environmental impacts against economic benefits under the National Environmental Protection Act. The federal commission in 2009 issued an EIS in favor of the facility and pipeline as a means to import foreign natural gas, but because project leaders in 2012 made the decision to export gas from the facility, a new environmental analysis must be completed. “I fully expect FERC will issue an environmental impact statement next year approving this facility,” said Susan Jane M. Brown, a staff attorney with Eugene-based Western Environmental Law Center. “It’s obviously a long way
to go before any shovel hits the dirt ... but I don’t think that this thing is ever going to survive the Ninth Circuit,” Brown said, referring to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where the Jordan Cove import project was stayed just before its leaders hit the reset button by turning to the current export proposal. “It’s a fun game until then,” Brown said, fully expecting the export project to land back in the high courts. In the meantime, “my clients are doing a variety of things: educating lawmakers both at the state and the federal level, they have been engaging the state and federal regulatory agencies, outreaching to members of the public and conducting public education,” Brown said. Violations of landowners’ rights, proposed and potential environmental impacts of the facility and pipeline and a staunch disagreement with the practices of the industry backing the project are overlapping concerns of those opposing the development at Jordan Cove. Many of the groups also argue that there are flaws in the federal economic research pushing Jordan Cove and similar projects forward, and that it is based too much on a recent boom in the domestic supply of gas. “If you happen to be concerned about the impact of fracking and impact of methane emissions relative to the climate, well the more domestic gas you rush to export the more of this you get. ... I believe that it’s wrong, and I believe that it is a fight worth fighting and a fight that we’ll continue,” said 70-year-old Bob Barker. His retirement property north of Shady Cove is where the Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline is proposed to cross under the Upper Rogue River as it snakes its way from Coos Bay to Malin, where it would link up with the existing TransCanada Gas Transmission Northwest pipeline. The Pacific Connector pipeline is jointly owned by Veresen Inc. and the Williams Co. based in Salt Lake City. Williams initially proposed the pipeline in 2006. If the project is approved, eminent domain could be used to acquire the necessary access, but project backers have stressed they
would prefer to work with willing landowners. “I am adamantly opposed to the use of eminent domain from the point of this being an export pipeline ... eminent domain for that purpose should not be permitted,” Barker said. “This thing has dragged on for years, way too long, people don’t have the ability to use their property the way they want to, selling prices are impacted ... it’s terrible.” Barker, who retired to the property in 2009 with his wife, said he is equally concerned about the safety risks of living near what would be an about 3-foot-diameter natural gas pipeline. “There are very clear downsides to this. ... Every year that this is delayed is a year that I get to enjoy my property without it being trashed,” Barker said. “This is clearly all about maximizing profit for energy companies, there is huge opportunity for them to sell this gas overseas and landowners like us are going to end up paying the price for it.” Proponents of the project point to the domestic boom in natural gas production and an opportunity to sell liquified natural gas from the proposed Coos Bay facility to high-paying markets overseas. The project would also bring about 2,000 temporary construction jobs to the region and about 150 permanent positions that will mostly be tied to direct operations at the Jordan Cove facility. There is also the attraction of the project providing a steady flow of tax and fee dollars to financially stressed Coos County. A community-based group, Boost Southwest Oregon, is lobbying locally for the project and is financially backed by project developers. According to its website, in partnership with the Coos County Assessors Office, the that determined group Jordan Cove would pay about $12 million in community enhancement fees each year of a proposed three-year construction period, and between $365 million to $470 million in property taxes over 18 years in operation. a to-be Additionally, assessed community enhancement fee would be required annually for 15 years following construction.
Before that money can be realized, the project must wade through a considerable approval process beyond the say of FERC. Oregon’s Department of Energy still must grant a site certificate for the construction of the South Dunes Power Plant that will supply the LNG terminal with electricity. That application was submitted Jan. 9 and has been determined “substantially incomplete,” according to a March 10 Oregon DOE letter to the applicants following initial review. Additionally, the Oregon Department of State Lands must provide removal-fill permits for the construction effort, the Oregon Water Resources Department will be responsible for considering water rights licenses, the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office will review cultural resource impact and the Department of Land Conservation and Development will have rule on coastal zone certification for the facility. Federally, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will have to provide permits allowing dredging in the bay to accommodate large tankers that would be used to transport Jordan Cove’s LNG overseas, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Transportation must formally review the project. Following the DOE approval Monday, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued a statement applauding the decision. Prior to this year, while chairman of the Energy Resources and Natural Committee, Wyden expressed his concern to the
A L D E R WA N T E D Also MAPLE and ASH
••• Saw Logs ••• Timber ••• Timber Deeds
Meetings MONDAY North Bend School District — 5 p.m., Hall of Champions, 2323 Pacific Ave., North Bend; special meeting.
TUESDAY Coos Bay Public Schools — 4 p.m., Milner Crest Education Center, 1255 Hemlock Ave., Coos Bay; achievement compact meeting. Oregon Coast Community Action — 5:30 p.m., ORCCA administrative offices, conference room, 1855 Thomas Ave., Coos Bay; regular meeting. Bay Area Health District — 5:30 p.m., Bay Area Hospital, 1775 Thompson Road, Coos Bay; education session. Lakeside City Council — 6 p.m., City Hall, 915 North Lake Road, Lakeside; workshop. Bay Area Health District — 6:30 p.m., Bay Area Hospital, 1775 Thompson Road, Coos Bay; regular meeting. Coos Bay City Council — 7 p.m., City Hall, 500 Central Ave., Coos Bay; regular meeting. Coos Bay Urban Renewal Agency — 7:30 p.m., City Hall, 500 Central Ave., Coos Bay; regular meeting. Myrtle Point Public Library Foundation — 7 p.m., Myrtle Point Public Library, 435 Fifth St., Myrtle Point; regular meeting.
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Thrift Store 360 S. 2nd St., Coos Bay 541∙269∙9704 All donations and money spent in our store stays local
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Contact our Log Buyers at Ed Groves: 541-404-3701
The Oregon Department of Transportation will not be extending the Oregon studded tire season past March 31. ODOT encourages drivers to consider other types of traction tires or chains. A study completed in 2000 concluded studded tires cause at least $40 million damage each year on city streets, county roads and state highways. Other types of traction tires are available. These traction tires meet rubber manufacturers association standards for use in severe snow conditions and carry a special symbol on the tire sidewall showing a threepeaked mountain and snowflake. Research shows these tires provide better traction than studded tires when used on bare pavement. Drivers who must travel when weather conditions present difficulties should use other types of traction tires or chains or postpone travel until conditions change for the better. For more information, visit www.TripCheck.com or call 511 for the latest road conditions. ODOT provides bad-weather driving tips and how-to videos online at http://1.usa.gov/1mFcOsx.
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DOE that the natural gas export project should be taken into thorough consideration and approved slowly, but has clearly changed his stance since then. “We’re really disappointed by Wyden’s reaction,” English said. “He is not giving the state an opportunity to finish its review of the project before jumping in with his support on this one.” Though former Gov. Ted Kulongoski openly opposed the Jordan Cove project, English said his group has yet to see any indication as to where Gov. John Kitzhaber stands on the issue. Ultimately, English said he is optimistic that Rogue Riverkeeper’s and other groups’ efforts against the project will be successful. Rogue Riverkeeper is organizing a rally in Shady Cove on April 19 to publicly oppose the project, he said, and Barker said he is just one of several landowners in the area who plan to be there. “I think there is still a number of hurdles remaining for Jordan Cove,” English said. “There are rules that need to be followed; this is a complex process and it is going to take time ... we will continue to monitor the project and keep up what we’re doing.”
Studded tire season won’t be extended
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