Letter to the Governor's Office

Dear.... (person unnamed)
I was calling specifically to protest the proposed LNG pipelines that will run from terminals on the Columbia River Estuary to a California pipeline in central Oregon. There are a number of reasons I oppose the pipeline that span both my personal and political philosophies, but I would like to be concise, so I will try to keep things short.

First off, the the proposed pipelines will import 4 times the amount of gas that Oregon already uses. In truth, the pipeline is not for Oregon at all but perhaps for energy interests in California or Texas.

Second, the pipeline threatens our beautiful and irreplaceable Oregon environment. The pipeline requires a 40 mile clear cut through the Mt. Hood National Forest crossing the Clackamas River and the Pacific Crest Trail. The proposed terminals threaten the Estuary habitats that are critical for salmon and a broad diversity of native fish, wildlife, birds and plants. The serious pollution and public safety impacts these facilities would have also make these projects a serious threat for communities around the Columbia Estuary.

Thirdly, the pipeline furthers our reliance on fossil fuel from the Middle East. The source of the gas is Middle Eastern countries like Qatar and Iran as well as Russia.

I voted for Kulongoski based on his promises of energy reform, particularly regarding increased uses of alternative energy and an end to reliance on foreign fossil fuels. This is from his website:

http://governor.oregon.gov/Gov/sos2006/energy.shtml
"Governor Kulongoski has committed to helping Oregon achieve real energy independence, and has set the state on the path to aggressive pursuit of energy options that maximize economic, environmental and consumer benefits. This means keeping energy prices competitive over the long haul, reducing dependence on energy sources from overseas, and protecting Oregonians from expected spikes in the prices of fossil fuels. The Governor seeks to reduce emissions that lead to global warming. He also seeks to invest in clean energy and create new jobs; for every $100 million invested in clean energy, Oregon creates more than a thousand new jobs. "

I really believe that in order to stay consistent with this, his campaign and other public statements, he must vocally oppose the proposed LNG pipelines. At the very least, he should have the Oregon Dept. of Energy prepare a Needs Analysis to consider if there is even a "need" for more gas in Oregon before any state agencies issue permits for the proposed LNG plants.

The final issue to me is deeply personal. The proposed pipelines run directly through my families' farm in Gales Creek. Gales Meadow Farm is a family run, Oregon Tilth Certified Organic Farm. We provide fresh, organic produce to a number of Portland restaurants, as well as to the people who visit us at our booth at the Hollywood Farmer's Market. Many of our customers are seniors, people with special dietary needs, and people who rely on food stamps to acquire healthy meals. We also donate substantial amounts of produce to the Oregon Food Bank, in fact we delivered almost 1 ton of food this year.

If the proposed pipeline proceeds our farm will be destroyed. My family has spent 15 years carefully nurturing and tilling the soil to get it to its current productive state. The damage that would be done by the digging of the pipeline would completely undo all of our hard and loving work and would take 15 years to repair. In the meantime our ability to grow produce would be fatal. The proposed pipeline runs lengthwise through our farm, and requires a 120' easement. Our fields are 100' in width, thus our entire farm would be affected by this. In addition we grow all year round, so there is never "a good time of year" to rip through our farm. Finally, we would lose our Oregon Tilth Organic certification. In essence, our farm would be destroyed.

The bottom line is that the proposed pipeline is bad for Oregon. It is bad for Oregon farms, bad for the Oregon fish and wildlife, and bad for Oregon forests. Not only is it bad for Oregon, but there is no upside. It increases our dependance on foreign fossil fuels and Oregon doesn't even need it! It's for California, who, incidentally, have rejected proposed pipelines in their state.

Sincerely,
Tobias Berblinger


Also... a reminder to my readers that the protest of the LNG Pipeline is next Wednesday...

Wednesday, December 12th, 12noon
NW Natural Gas Corporate Headquarters
220 NW Second Ave. (two blocks north of Burnside)
Portland

See you there.
Cheers!
Tobias