NorthernStar says construction of Oregon LNG terminal to begin

BRADWOOD, Ore. - NorthernStar Natural Gas says it is nearing the end of the long federal and state approval process for its liquefied natural gas terminal on the Columbia River and could begin construction by the end of this year.
The Houston company said it has begun consulting with the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on the impacts the Bradwood, Ore., terminal would pose to endangered species. NMFS is expected to rule in a Biological Opinion expected between March and May whether the risks are acceptable.
In a statement, NorthernStar president Paul Soanes called it "a major milestone" that "puts Bradwood Landing on track to complete its permitting
by next summer, allowing construction to begin later in 2010."
NorthernStar plans to bring LNG tankers 38 miles up the Columbia, where they would unload superchilled gas into storage tanks. The gas would be warmed and pumped to market through at least one pipeline that would cross the Columbia River and connect with the Williams pipeline just north of Kelso.
Should federal regulators determine the project meets the requirements of
the Endangered Species Act, NorthernStar will still have to get approvals
from Washington and Oregon under the clean air, clean water and Coastal Zone Management acts. FERC's decision to approve the project also faces an appeal from various environmental groups and state and federal agencies in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.