On Wednesday, the Yurok Tribal Council reaffirmed the Tribe’s opposition to the Jordan Cove LNG Project in response to a request made directly from Pembina Pipeline Corp.
“The Tribal Council categorically opposes this project,” said Joseph L. James, the Chairman of the Yurok Tribe. “This project poses a serious threat to the Klamath River and our way of life. It also puts many other salmon-bearing watersheds and communities in jeopardy.”
During the meeting, a representative from the Canadian company brought up several mitigation measures as well as other incentives in exchange for the Tribe’s support for the ill-advised project, according to a statement from the Tribe.
“The Yurok Tribe has opposed the Jordan Cove Terminal /Pacific Connector Pipeline since it was first proposed and then abandoned by a different Canadian company. Pembina’s project seeks to build a fracked natural gas pipeline from Coos Bay to the town of Malin in Southern Oregon. The construction of the pipeline requires the establishment of a permanent, 95-foot-wide and approximately 230-mile long buffer through 485, streams and rivers in the Pacific Northwest, including the Klamath River, which has sustained the Yurok people since time immemorial,” the Tribe said.
In early May of 2019, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality rejected Pembina’s bid for a water quality permit because the agency was not convinced that “the construction and authorization of the project will comply with applicable Oregon water quality standards.”
However, the company may still apply for a new permit under the state’s rules, according to the Tribe.
“We strongly encourage Oregon DEQ to deny all future permit applications. This project represents a step in the wrong direction. We should all be moving toward renewable energy, so we can leave this world in a better condition for future generations,” concluded Chairman James.