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Feds Decline To Withdraw Jordan Cove LNG Permits

An artist's rendition of the proposed Jordan Cove LNG export terminal in Coos Bay, Oregon.
jordancoveLNG.com
An artist's rendition of the proposed Jordan Cove LNG export terminal in Coos Bay, Oregon.

Federal energy officials say they won’t reconsider their conditional approval of a liquified natural gas pipeline and coastal export terminal in Southern Oregon.

The long-running saga of the Jordan Cove Energy Project is about to move to the federal courts.

Last month, a raft of environmental groups, tribes and landowners were joined by several Oregon state agencies in asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to withdraw or re-hear the Jordan Cove decision.

In March, FERC gave the project a go-ahead, as long as it met a lengthy list of conditions before beginning construction of a 229-mile long pipeline and an export facility in Coos Bay.

Opponents say the commission’s approval was procedurally flawed and violated several federal environmental laws.

Thursday, by a 3-1 vote, the commissioners rejected those arguments.

Now, with their administrative appeals exhausted, opponents have 10 days to challenge the decision by filing suit in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Liam Moriarty has been covering news in the Pacific Northwest for three decades. He served two stints as JPR News Director and retired full-time from JPR at the end of 2021. Liam now edits and curates the news on JPR's website and digital platforms.