Environmental Groups File Appeal To Stop Coos Bay Export Plans


Environmental groups have gone to court again to stop the export of liquidified natural gas from the Port of Coos Bay.

Coos Waterkeeper, the Sierra Club and other groups filed a petition with Oregon's Court of Appeals Tuesday. They're asking the court to reverse a judge's decision last month to allow the port to dredge a waterway deep enough for large vessels that could haul LNG and bulk commodities like coal.

The groups want the Oregon Department of Lands to conduct an environmental assessment that looks at all the projects the port is working on and not just the dredging.

"They have the obligation to look at the impacts of the project as a whole particular to the things that the Legislature has said are really, really important to Oregon, like fishing, like shellfish, like use of our waters for recreation," said Janette Brimmer, an attorney with Earthjustice.

This spring, investors in an export terminal withdrew their plan to ship coal from Coos Bay.

Port officials say they will continue to consider import and export opportunities as they seek federal and state permits to develop its terminal. They released the following statement:

Port of Coos Bay Statement 5/28/13 by earthfixteam

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