°FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, December 1, 2021
CONTACT:
Allie Rosenbluth, allie@rogueclimate.org, 541-816-2240
Nathan Matthews, nathan.matthews@sierraclub.org, 415-977-5695
After Years of Community Organizing,
Jordan Cove LNG Export Terminal and Fracked Gas Pipeline Project is Dead
Pembina Announces It Has “Decided Not to Move Forward With the Project” and Asks the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to Cancel Its Permit
[WASHINGTON, DC] — Pembina, the Canadian company that tried to impose a fracked gas pipeline and export terminal on communities across Southern Oregon, today filed a formal request asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to cancel its permit for the project.
The company’s pipeline and export terminal subsidiaries “have decided not to move forward with the Project,” the request says.
They “remain concerned regarding their ability to obtain the necessary state permits in the immediate future in addition to other external obstacles,” the filing adds.
Pembina’s cancellation of this project follows years of opposition from a broad coalition of Oregonians concerned about risks to health and safety, climate change, environmental impacts, landowner rights, impacts on indigenous communities, and the need to shift to clean energy jobs instead of expanding fossil fuel use.
More than 50,000 Oregonians filed comments with state agencies when Pembina was unsuccessfully trying to show that it qualified for state permits. Tens of thousands attended public hearings over the past several years to express their opposition.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality denied Pembina’s application for a Clean Water Act Section 401 permit in 2019 and Pembina withdrew their application for a removal-fill permit from the Oregon Department of State Lands in 2020. In 2021, the U.S. Department of Commerce sustained Oregon’s objection to Jordan Cove LNG under the Coastal Zone Management Act and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission determined that Oregon had not waived its authority to deny the Clean Water Act Section 401 certification.
“This is amazing news. We knew the project wasn’t viable because of all the risks that it brought to our communities,” said Chairman Don Gentry of the Klamath Tribes. “I am thankful for the cooperative effort to bring about this victory. This is a significant relief for our communities who have been so concerned about the impacts for our members and the region as a whole”
“This is a great day for landowners along the pipeline route, and a great day for Oregon,” said Deb Evans, an impacted landowner. “This has been a long time coming, and we are so relieved that the threat of eminent domain is no longer hanging over us.”
“The defeat of this project shows what communities can accomplish when we insist that public officials put the public interest ahead of the special interests of big corporations,” said Hannah Sohl of Rogue Climate, an organizing group of residents of the South Coast and other Southern Oregonian counties. “Now, we need those same public officials to act with urgency to speed our transition to clean energy jobs and greater energy efficiency.”
“The Jordan Cove Energy Project has occupied our South Coast community and the State of Oregon for over 15 years,” says Mike Graybill, former director of the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve. “Today’s long overdue decision provides an opportunity to move on to a discussion of a more sustainable future.”
“Jordan Cove LNG finally recognizing that this ill-advised project will never be built represents a hard-fought victory for Oregon communities who have worked for more than a decade to protect their land and water from dangerous fracked gas infrastructure,” Said Nathan Mathews, senior attorney at the Sierra Club. “The fossil fuel industry would have us believe that their plans for a massive expansion of gas exports are a done deal, but this is proof that that’s far from the case. We will continue to work alongside communities from coast to coast as they fight back against the industry’s destructive expansion plans.”
“Jordan-Cove should have never been considered as a viable project in the first place. I hope those who have spent years fighting the project and were affected by it can finally have some peace,” said Brook Thompson, staff at Save California Salmon and a Yurok Tribal member. “We should celebrate wins as they come along, and it took a community effort to bring it down.”
“For too long, Oregonians have been living under the cloud of a potential dirty fossil fuel project destroying our shores, waterways, wildlife, and livelihoods,” said Susan Jane Brown, Wildlands Program Director for the Western Environmental Law Center, and an attorney representing conservation interests challenging the Jordan Cove Energy Project. “At long last, Pembina finally recognizes that Oregon is no place for fracked gas infrastructure. Our coalition has proven that endless pressure endlessly applied will win the day.”
“This victory shows that we can accomplish great things when we collaborate together to fight against the destruction of our rivers and natural environment by the fossil fuel industry,” said Emily Bowes, Conservation Director at Rogue River Keeper.
“A Canadian company tried to use eminent domain to take my land to ship gas overseas to Asia for their own profit. There was no good for the people of the United States,” said Bill Gow a conservative rancher in Douglas County whose property was directly impacted by the proposed pipeline. “So many people told me that it was a waste of time to fight this. It goes to show you that sometimes you can fight and win even when the offs are stacked against you. We were standing up to something that was just wrong and we won.”
“Pembina has finally admitted what we knew all along – Oregon communities would never stand aside to see this project built,” said Courtney Johnson, executive director of Crag Law Center. “We could not be more proud to have fought beside community members for more than 15 years to overturn local permits and convince state regulators of the flaws in this project.”
“Today we are celebrating the protection of public health in southern Oregon from this deadly and dangerous gas pipeline and LNG export terminal,” said David De La Torre, Healthy Climate Program Director with Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility. “When communities come together to safeguard clean air, drinking water, and a healthy climate, we grow ever closer to a world with justice for all.”
“At long last, the fifteen-year shadow over the proposed pipeline route and Coos Bay is lifted,” said Bethany Cotton, conservation director for Cascadia Wildlands. “Today we celebrate with the communities, Tribes, landowners, organizations, and individuals who diligently fought against long odds to keep their rivers, forests, ocean, airsheds, communities and our climate safe from this reckless proposed fracked gas pipeline and terminal: and won.”
Brian Tripp, an internationally renowned artist and Karuk elder said “Yootwa, thank you for everyone’s hard work. We are in a good place right now, we are going to save the Klamath River.”
“The nation needs to recognize Oregon for standing together and fighting this environmental monstrosity. Protect our Mother Earth as she gives us life and I pray to the creator for blessings for the Rogue Climate Organization as they are modern day warriors. Thank you,” said Perry Chocktoot, director of the The Klamath Tribes Culture and Heritage Department.
“We’re in awe of the organizing that went into this victory. the coalition that was built between Indigenous communities, rural land owners, and environmental activists has overcome many challenges, including battling against multinational corporate interests, and politically motivated FBI surveillance. As the effects of climate change become more real with each new fire season, we’re also seeing what’s possible when we work together for change,” said Siskiyou Rising Tide.
“We applaud the tireless efforts of our fellow advocates, tribes, and landowners that led to the project owner’s decision to abandon this dangerous export terminal and pipeline project,” said Daniel E. Estrin, General Counsel and Advocacy Director for Waterkeeper Alliance. “While these ‘David vs. Goliath’ battles to protect our environment and climate from the fossil fuel industry often start with what feel like very long odds, we see time and again that when communities stand up and arm themselves with the law and science to fight for what’s right, we often beat those long odds. We especially appreciate the seriousness with which the State of Oregon took its responsibility throughout these proceedings to protect its residents, waterways, and our shared climate from disaster.”
From Lesley Adams, Rogue Riverkeeper Founder and Current Board Member, “Rogue Riverkeeper was founded in the early days of the Jordan Cove LNG proposal because we knew our rivers and fish and forests were more valuable than fossil fuels.”
“Coos Bay Chapter Surfrider is proud to have stood with our friends and allies who were part of the years long effort to stop this environment and social disaster,” says Sam Schwartz, Chapter Chair. We are incredibly grateful for the State of Oregon, the Tribes, impacted landowners, organizations and communities across the region, who have made it clear that there was no viable path forward for this project which would harm our bay, our forests, private landowners and our coastal communities.”
“This is a triumph over the profit-at-any-cost interests. Many people strung together with unstoppable determination brough this added length to the Thin Green Line,” says Bonnie McKinlay, Folly of Frack.
“While the mid Willamette Valley did not have direct pipeline or refinery impacts, we immediately understand that whay affects the water, trees, and landowners ANYWHERE affects us all,” says Deb McGee of the Fracked Gas Resistance Team at 350 Eugene. “The loving heartfelt solidarity of the grassroots organizers kept us coming back til this fight was won! Special appreciation to the Tribal Nations and the youth!”
“Frontline grassroots organizations set an example to be followed buy preventing an additional 52 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. The Canadian LNG pipeline and terminal was a real thread for everyone globally,” said Thomas Joseph II, Director of California Kitchen and Hoopa Valley Tribal Member. “Oregon and NorCal grassroots demonstrated what real zero emissions look like. Keeping fossil fuels in the ground gets us to 1.5°C, that’s the needed changes we need. We need to challenge the business as usual paradigm.”
“This project would have been a complete disaster for Oregon’s climate goals, the equivalent of building 15 new coal-fired power plants,” said Dineen O’Rourke, Campaign Manager with 350PDX. “Jordan Cove LNG should have never been considered, but we can now wholeheartedly celebrate this incredible victory brought to us by nearly two decades of dedicated grassroots organizing led by Tribal communities, young people, landowners, coastal communities, and all those who were directly threatened by this dangerous project. When we organize, we win!”
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