FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, May 21, 2020
Jordan Cove LNG Rehearing Denied by Federal Agency, Southern Oregon Communities Prepare to Challenge Decision
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — Today, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) announced that it would deny all requests for rehearing for the Jordan Cove LNG export terminal. The State of Oregon, multiple Tribal governments, landowners impacted by eminent domain, fishers and crabbers, and environmental groups had all requested FERC revisit its ruling on the widely-opposed project. FERC Commissioner Richard Glick was the lone dissent, pointing to climate, private property concerns, and the low chance that this project will ever be built.
Communities across Oregon reaffirmed their commitment to taking every step to ensure that the Jordan Cove LNG export terminal and pipeline will not move forward. This denial can be appealed to the United States Courts of Appeals.
Jordan Cove LNG is still missing essential authorizations from the state of Oregon, which are required before the project can move forward. 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.
“FERC panders to the interests of the fossil fuel industry at all costs. Their arbitrary use of power to serve a Canadian corporation over the rights and liberties of Americans by taking private property through eminent domain is immoral,” said Stacey McLaughlin, an impacted landowner in Douglas County. “This is an egregious violation of our 5th amendment rights. We’ll see FERC in court!”
“The Jordan Cove LNG export project will never meet Oregon’s safeguards that protect our communities, our coastal fisheries, and climate,” said Todd Buchholz of the Coos Bay Surfrider chapter. “Just last week, the Canadian fossil fuel company behind the project, Pembina, packed up their offices in southern Oregon and left, showing that they are not a part of our communities and they know this project will never be built. It’s time for Pembina to pack up and leave Oregon for good.”
“As Commissioner Glick recognized in his dissent, Jordan Cove LNG has no customers,” said Nathan Matthews, Senior Attorney with the Sierra Club. “This project is a boondoggle, and FERC should not burden Oregon’s environment, communities, and landowners by approving a pipeline that nobody needs and that Oregonians don’t want. This project is still missing multiple state and federal permits, and we will continue to ensure that the project is not built.”
“Today’s action by FERC underlines how important it is for the State of Oregon to defend the decisions made by our state agencies to protect our clean air and water, and the wellbeing of Oregonians” said southern Oregon Representative Pam Marsh. “Oregon’s congressional delegation should stand united in telling FERC that authorizing LNG export projects and fracked gas pipelines must not occur during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
