Remember when the topic of offshore drilling approval broke recently, pre-Deepwater Horizon, and how part of that equation was what prerogatives did states retain vis-à-vis granting authorization? Because states should have final say, right? I certainly think so.
FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) oftentimes, though, does not. This was the case recently in Oregon, where FERC authorized LNG projects over the wishes of well, just about everybody -- Oregonians, Governor Kulongoski, even Senator Wyden.
Which brings us to below the fold and how you can help states retain the final say over whether or not environmentally destructive energy projects will be allowed.
The thing about FERC is this:
Congress and the President in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 gave the FERC important new regulatory authority over the reliability of the nation's bulk-power system . Mandatory and enforceable reliability standards and a strong reliability program are critical elements of that new authority.
Basically, FERC can jump in and authorize an energy project in the name of keeping the grid reliable and all that rot. Thankfully, Senator Wyden has introduced a bill, S 3056, to limit their jurisdiction:
3/2/2010--Introduced. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to repeal provisions amending the Natural Gas Act to extend its jurisdiction to:
(1) the exportation or importation of natural gas in foreign commerce and to persons engaged in it; and
(2) liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals. States that the Natural Gas Act shall be applied and administered as if such provisions and attendant amendments had not been enacted.
S 3056 now sits in the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, awaiting further attention from us. There is also companion legislation in the House, HR 4922:
The bill repeals a provision in the 2005 Energy bill that gave the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) the exclusive authority to site LNG facilities.
U.S. Reps. Barney Frank (D-MA), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and James Langevin (D-RI) are original co-sponsors of the bill. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) has introduced the legislation in the Senate.
FERC does not currently seek adequate input from states in LNG siting reviews, and governors lack veto authority for onshore LNG terminals, despite having that authority for offshore terminals under the Deepwater Port Act. Although states and localities face all the potential risks and impacts of a LNG facility, they lack an equal voice in the siting and approval process. Prior to the 2005 Energy Bill, such decisions had historically been made by siting agencies in each state.
So, LNG, FERC, LNG blahblahblah...what's any of this got to do with offshore drilling and Deepwater Horizon? It's a model; we just need to find the right Congresscritters with the right bill to plug into the formula. Wyden's bill : FERC and LNG :: ??? bill : MMS and offshore.
Authorizing operating permits are an abstract thought exercise to federal regulators; it's the states and the residents and, in the case of Deepwater Horizon, the rest of the world who have to live with the consequences of those decisions.
So, I hope you will join me in demanding the Wyden and McGovern/Frank/Kennedy/Langevin bills be addressed and passed posthaste and then let's get crackin' on finding the Senator or Rep with the fortitude to sponsor similar legislation regarding off shore drilling.
In the meantime, please share this info with everyone you know in Oregon. We have got to avail ourselves of this:
NW Natural is holding a shareholder's meeting this Thursday. If you are in the Portland area, please pay them a visit (official if you can) and let them know you do not want the Palomar pipeline project to go through:
Thursday, May 27th 1pm
Oregon Convention Center
777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
So that we may stop this:
a pipeline from the Columbia River where the LNG Terminals are proposed down through Molalla and across the national forest to meet up in Madras with existing pipeline.
This proposal would include a clearcut corridor for the pipeline, as well as new road construction for access to the pipeline. The corridor would cross Fish Creek, the Wild and Scenic Clackamas River. These are key watersheds that include already compromised older forests. The corridor would amount to an approx. 720-acre clearcut, through popular recreation areas, across hiking trails (such as the Pacific Crest Trail) and across two proposed off-highway vehicle designated areas.
They may not have my mountain! They may not have your mountain! They may not have our rivers or our oceans! They are ours! Ours! And far too many people need a reminder right about now.
Thanks for reading!