A long-planned, controversial Southern Oregon fracked gas pipeline project was dealt a major setback on Monday, spurring celebration from the many groups who oppose it. One group of Oregonians who are particularly relieved: The Native American community living on the land the pipeline's slated to plow through.
As OPB reported Monday, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) denied a key permit for the proposed Jordan Cove LNG (liquified natural gas) project, which would include a 230-mile pipeline that would cut right through Coos Bay. That pipeline, which would transport fracked gas from Canada, would also run under tribal land belonging to the Klamath Tribes. The Klamath Tribes are among the coalition of environmental groups that oppose the project.
âThe more I learned about the project, the more I realized that the risk and the potential impacts really doesnât outweigh any potential local benefits,â Don Gentry, chair of the Klamath Tribes council, told the Mercury. âWeâre not only concerned about here locally and regionally, but just the continued support of the fossil fuel industry. We need to find something more sustainable.â
Different versions of the Jordan Cove project have been in the works for about 15 years, according to Gentry. Klamath Tribes have opposed the project since before Gentry joined its council in 2010, on the grounds that a major pipeline project could have a serious negative environmental impact on its tribal territories. Gentry said he can already see climate changeâs effects on Klamath tribal land in the form of increased wildfires and a declining fish population, and that he doesnât want to allow a local project to worsen Oregonâs environmental footprint.
This pipeline project would potentially be the stateâs top carbon polluter if constructed, and DEQ denied a permit on the grounds that there is no âreasonable assurance that the construction and authorization of the project will comply with applicable Oregon water quality standards,â according to a statement from the department.
Klamath Tribes have submitted public comment critical of the pipeline, and also taken up a high-profile role in opposing it: Last year, Gentry co-authored a New York Times opinion piece that referred to the Jordan Cove project as âthe next Standing Rockâ:
âIf the pipeline gets built, the initial construction jobs will disappear as soon as it is done. As far as the Klamath people are concerned, this pipeline is a bad idea even if the price of gas were predicted to skyrocket. The Klamath people oppose this project because it puts at risk their watersheds, forests, bays, culture, spiritual places, homes, climate and future.â
In addition to having strong concerns about the projectâs environmental impact, Klamath Tribes also chose to publicly oppose the project because it could potentially upset unmarked ancient burial sites. Gentry said heâs seen other construction projects in the area accidentally uncover old buried bodies.
âWe look at this as an area where our human remains and other cultural resources are at risk,â he said. âYou wouldnât want somebody to go through an area where thereâs a cemetery with unmarked graves.â
Though those who oppose the Jordan Cove LNG pipeline see Mondayâs news as a potentially devastating blow for the project, it technically isnât dead yet. Pembina, the Canadian company proposing the pipeline, could reapply for the permit DEQ recently denied itâbut this permit is just one step of a long authorization process. Gentry hopes Pembina might cut its losses and abandon the plan.
âTheyâve done a lot for public relations,â he said. âThey had these glossy direct mail-outs that arrived in my mailbox. ⌠Theyâve spent and invested a lot of money into this, so Iâm not sure how far their resources go, or their interest.â
Pembina employees have reached out to Gentry in the past, hoping to mitigate the Klamath Tribesâ worries about the pipeline. Gentry said they even offered financial help to cover âtribal needs," presumably in exchange for their support. But Gentry and the rest of the tribal council wasnât interested in compromising.
âOregon is pretty progressive, weâre trying to reduce greenhouse gasses ⌠supporting a project like this is going in the wrong direction,â he said. âWe didnât believe the benefit of even engaging with those discussions.â