Oregon Public Broadcasting

Opponents of a liquefied natural gas terminal proposed for the Columbia River are applauding a new state land-use decision.  Rob Manning reports.

The Land Use Board of Appeals actually ruled against environmental groups on most of their objections to the Bradwood Landing project. But LUBA did agree with two objections related to salmon and the project’s size.

But Joe Desmond with the LNG company, NorthernStar, isn't worried.  He says the land-use issues can be resolved while the feds complete their environmental review.

Joe Desmond: “The critical path for our project is working through the biological assessment, together with the National Marine Fisheries’ Service, so they can issue a biological opinion. And that’s expected to take six to nine months.”

Northern Star wants to start building later this year. The project is also in court on another front.

This week, the Oregon Attorney General sued the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission over its approval of Bradwood Landing.