5/20; Pacific Connector Hearing in Coquille!
NO LNG in Coos Bay!, 18.05.2010 21:19
We are only a few days and counting to one of the most important hearings we will
have on the Jordan Cove / Pacific Connector Project. The Pacific Connector Pipeline
has applied for their Coos County Conditional Land Use Coastal Zone permit.
***Pacific Connector Hearing in Coos County - May 20th 2010***
4:00 p.m.
The Hearing will take place in the Planning Department Conference Room of the Coos
County Courthouse Annex, 201 N. Adams, Coquille, Oregon.
PLEASE MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND!
Testimony will be accepted up until the close of the hearing......
Come even if you have to be late......
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The Coos County Planning Dept has now issued their Staff Report on the Pacific
Connector Application. It is available on-line along with additional information
recently submitted by the Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline:
http://www.co.coos.or.us/Planning/public_info/PCGP.html
See more info below, along with a rundown on the Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline - - -
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These News Story Links Below:
1) County: Pipeline meets rules
2) Pipeline Perspectives
3) Why is the county wasting funds?
4) Roblan questions FERC meeting
5) ALN Comes Out in Opposition to Weaver's Cove LNG Proposal
6) Guest Viewpoint: Plans on the table for a community solar energy 'garden'
Upcoming Events:
Thursday, May 20th: 4:00 p.m. Hearing will begin on the Pacific Connector
Conditional Land Use Coastal Zone Coos County Permit Application (FILE# HBCU-10-01).
The Hearing will take place in the Planning Department Conference Room of the Coos
County Courthouse Annex, 201 N. Adams, Coquille, Oregon. This will be regarding the
following land use matter: Conditional use approval to allow a 49.7 mile natural gas
pipeline connecting the Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on the
north spit of Coos Bay with the Douglas County portion of the pipeline. Full Notice
-
http://www.co.coos.or.us/Planning/PacificConnectorGasPipeline/Notice_of_Hearing_HBCU-10-01_Pipeline.pdf
The Pacific Connector application has been posted to:
http://www.co.coos.or.us/Planning/public_info/PCGP.html
Coos County Zoning and Land Development Ordinance (CCZLDO) website here:
http://www.co.coos.or.us/Planning/CCZLDO/toc.htm
PLEASE NOTE: It has come to my attention that the 8 MB Coos County Zoning and Land
Development Ordinance that downloads from the top of the Table of Contents webpage
at the link above appears to have been created in February 2007 and is not current
or correct. Other links on the Table of Contents webpage appear to be current and
okay (as far as I know)........
Coos County Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan:
http://www.co.coos.or.us/ccem/
Thursday, May 20th: 7:00 p.m. - Port of Coos Bay Commission meeting in Port's
Commission Chambers, located at 125 Central Avenue, Suite 230 Coos Bay, Oregon.
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***A Rundown on the Pacific Connector Pipeline***
The Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline (PCGP) is an approximately 234 mile, 36-inch
high-pressure gas pipeline operating at 1,440 PSI (pounds per square inch). PCGP is
proposed to transport 1 billion cubic feet a day of gas from the Coos Bay LNG site
to a connect at Malin, Oregon in an effort to supply California ( Pacific Gas and
Electric ) rate payers with costly foreign energy. The Hazard zone for this
pipeline is approximately a 900 ft circumference from the center of the pipe[1]
(1,800 feet across) which impacts many landowners who may not even be aware they are
living or have property in a pipeline hazard zone.
The Coos County conditional use application includes 49.7 miles of the Pacific
Connector gas pipeline and will connect the Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas (LNG)
terminal on the north spit of Coos Bay with the Douglas County portion of the
pipeline.
Pacific Connector Pipeline Project Areas within Coos County Zoning Designations:
Forest (F) - 39.47 miles
Exclusive Farm Use (EFU) - 3.72 miles
Rural Residential-5 - 0.37 miles
Rural Residential-2 - 0.10 miles
Industrial - 0.07 miles
Coos Bay Estuary Management Plan (all zones) - 5.99 miles
Total 49.72 miles
Pacific Connector Overall Waterbody Impacts:
NOTE: The Final EIS page 4.5-84 stated impacts to waterbodies that were different
from Pacific Connector's Clean Water Permit Application that was submitted to Army
Corps in May 2009.
Final EIS Page 4.5-84 Stated the following:
"The Pacific Connector's pipeline would cross or affect 249 waterbodies (excluding
ditches): 111 perennial streams, 131 intermittent streams, 4 stock ponds, 1
excavated pond, 1 industrial pond, 1 natural pond, and Coos Bay (1 crossing).
Available data indicate that about 123 of these waterbodies are known (59) or
assumed (64) to be inhabited by fish." (Final EIS Page 4.5-84)
(Note: Draft EIS had stated 379 waterbodies would be impacted)
Pacific Connector Clean Water Permit Application
Appendix F - Affected Water Resources - Page 4 stated:
"The PCGP Project will affect 383 waterbodies in 18 of the 19 Fifth Field
Watersheds. Of the 383 waterbodies affected, 104 are perennial, 128 are
intermittent, 143 are ditches, 7 are stock ponds, and 1 estuary (Haynes Inlet in the
Coos Bay Estuary).
In Coos County, the PCGP Project will affect 59 perennial and 28 intermittent
waterbodies, 14 ditches, 1 stock pond, and 1 estuary...." (Emphasis added)
Pacific Connector Clean Water Permit Application
Appendix I - Wetland Mitigation PCGP - Page 1 stated:
"The project will cross 383 waterbodies, of which 104 are perennial, 128 are
intermittent, 143 are ditches, 7 are stock ponds and 1 estuary (Haynes Inlet in the
Coos Bay Estuary) as indicated in Table 2A-2 in Appendix A. Available data
indicates 64 of the waterbodies (including the Coos Bay Estuary) are known to
support fish (fish-bearing) and 62 more are presumed to be inhabited, based on
annual flow regimes and connectivity to documented fish-bearing streams, 90 are
unknown and 23 are not fish bearing." (Emphasis added)
The freshwater streams crossed by proposed pipeline route include 6 major subbasins
of rivers in southern Oregon, the Coos, Coquille, South Umpqua, Upper Rogue, Upper
Klamath and Lost River subasins. Most of the major streams, and many of the minor
streams crossed contain salmon and steelhead, some of which are federally listed as
threatened fish species.
Construction of the Pacific Connector pipeline would affect about 3,035 acres of
forest and woodland, 623 acres of agricultural lands, 488 acres of
grasslands-shrubland, and 131 acres of non- riparian vegetation. (Final EIS page
5-9). ( I am not sure if these statistics also include the temporary roads and
staging areas that will be needed by the Pipeline company)
Approximately 151 miles, or 66 percent, of the proposed pipeline route would cross
private property, which could be taken by eminent domain. The remaining 79 miles
(34 percent) of pipeline route would cross public lands administered by the BLM (18
percent), USFS (12 percent), BOR (0.14 percent), (Final EIS page 4.8-25)
The Pacific Connector is slated to directly impact Clausen Oyster Company's best
oyster beds. Clausen Oyster Co, the former Kentuck Golf Course, and Coos County
Sheep Farm are just a few businesses in the Coos Bay area that will be negatively
impacted by the pipeline.
The Pacific Connector proposes to use a 95-foot-wide standard construction
right-of-way for the pipeline. (Final EIS Page 2-61) On federally managed lands,
Pacific Connector proposes to acquire a 53-foot-wide permanent easement, centered
over the pipe. On private timberlands, Pacific Connector proposes to acquire a
60-foot-wide permanent easement. On all other private lands, Pacific Connector
proposes to acquire a 75-foot-wide permanent easement (Final EIS Page 2-64 -2-65).
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is not allowing the use of eminent domain
on an easement that will exceed 50 feet (Final EIS Page 2-66). Landowners could be
given less money for use of land due to smaller easements and there is no
compensation listed for hazard zone property value devaluation. Vegetation at above
ground facilities would be periodically maintained using mowing, cutting, trimming
and the selective use of herbicides (Final EIS Page 2-110). Herbicides could affect
native plant species, thereby affecting wildlife habitat and potentially the animals
themselves (Final EIS Page 4.5-32).
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[1] GRI-00/0189 / C-FER Report 99068, " A Model for Sizing High Consequence Areas
Associated with Natural Gas Pipelines" Topical Report prepared by Mark J Stephens,
C-FER Technologies, for Gas Research Institute, Contract No 8174, Oct 2000
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NOTE: The Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline states in their Coos County Application
that they will only obtain a 50-foot wide permanent right of way.
more info;
http://www.pacificgreens.org/cat-campaigns/no-lng
http://kswild.org/programs/rogue-riverkeeper/no-lng-in-oregon