In The Zone Recap
I wish everyone could have attended the calm, reasoned, and knowledgeable presentation by Dr. Jerry Havens Thursday night in Astoria.
A crowd of about 200 learned much about LNG and about why all of us, whether for or against the proposed terminals here, should be paying a LOT of attention to safety concerns. Highlights of the riveting information from Dr. Havens:
Brett VandenHeuvel, Executive Director of Columbia Riverkeeper, updated the audience on the status of the 3 LNG proposals in Oregon. The audience asked Brett and Dr. Havens many thought-provoking questions.
Unfortunately, a few pro-LNG people attacked Dr. Havens and the scientific research he was presenting, rather than asking about the safety issues of the terminals they want so much. Since Dr. Havens is the man the LNG industry and government turn to for safety standards, those accusations were especially ridiculous.
Other highlights: a fabulous scale model of the proposed Oregon LNG terminal in Warrenton, using the technical drawings posted on the company's website, www.oregonlng.com.
Congratulations to Lloyd Bowler for this detailed model, which even includes a football field and the Astoria Column to show just how massive the tanks and terminal would be. Roger Rocka and Jim Scheller did a masterful job of emceeing.
Jan Mitchell and Nancy Holmes baked dozens and dozens of delicious cookies and oversaw refreshments - their next project is the Pillsbury Bake-Off.
Dozens of elected officials and other community leaders were individually invited to hear Dr. Havens. We were pleased that some took advantage of this opportunity: Port of Astoria Commissioner Kathy Sanders, Port of Astoria Director Jack Crider, and County Commissioners Ann Samuelson and Dirk Rohne attended.
THANKS to the many people who worked tirelessly to make this event such a success! Special thanks to: Mick Alderman, Marc Auerbach, Lloyd Bowler, Bobbi Brice, Laurie Caplan, Robert Clark, Debi Donnelly, Lori Durheim, Lulu and Ned Heavenrich, Nancy Holmes, McLaren Innes, Cheryl Johnson, Jan Luesse, Ted Messing, Jan Mitchell, Larry Moore, Carol Newman, Gretel and Tom Oxwang, Dan Palenski, Roger Rocka, Jim Scheller, Lucien Swerdloff, Helen Westbrook. Special thanks to Ryan Davis and The Loft at the Red Building, the Cannery Pier Hotel, Columbia Pacific Common Sense, Columbia River Business Alliance, Columbia Riverkeeper, hipfish, the McKenzie River Gathering Foundation, and the Northwest Property Rights Coalition. Onward! Laurie

LNG Threatens Our Health and Safety
“If about 3 million gallons of LNG* spills onto the water from an LNG tanker ship,
flammable vapors from the spill could travel up to 3 miles.”
*3 million gallons is only 10% of a typical LNG cargo.
Dr. Jerry Havens, Director, Chemical Hazards Research Center, University of Arkansas
“I'm very concerned about our ability to do anything in case of a tanker mishap …. If we put in a
product that is as potentially flammable as an LNG facility, we've increased the probability to do
harm to the public.”
Fire Chief Ted Ames, Warrenton, OR
Firefighting, safety, and security resources are extremely limited along the entire transit route to
manage LNG shipments or respond to LNG emergencies, such as spills, fires,
U.S. Coast Guard Waterway Suitability Report, 2007
“LNG fires burn hotter than regular gas fires – and may emit thermal radiation that could burn even
people near the vicinity of the fire. There is no reason to place these facilities in any location
that could expose nearby residents to such risks.”
U.S. Representative Elijah E. Cummings,
Chair, Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, April, 2007