Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commissioners announced Tuesday that they will not evaluate a proposed Oregon liquefied natural gas terminal this week, as scheduled. Rob Manning reports.

The official announcement gives no explanation for the last-minute delay in taking up the proposal for Bradwood Landing, on the Columbia River.

But a spokeswoman at the energy agency said commissioners wanted more time to review comments that had come in since the June environmental impact statement was released.

Those comments include a 12-page letter about Bradwood, submitted Monday by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

In the letter, NMFS complains it has not gotten the information it’s requested from the company behind Bradwood, NorthernStar.

NMFS contends that without the information, federal scientists can’t weigh in with their analysis, as required by federal law.

NorthernStar and FERC have suggested that research into some effects on salmon, for instance, would be done in the future.

Federal scientists contend in the letter that they want more complete information right away, on at least ten different points.