Alaskan Pipeline/ Cali Gas line/ Railway on the coast (Salem: property tax, living in)

[Starlage]

So, part of the reason my husband and I are considering moving to the Coos Bay/ N.Bend/ Bandon area is because of the awesome potential we think the area has with the upcoming plans for the california gas line, the alaskan pipeline, the railway overhaul and the possible future deepening of the canal. It just seems like those things in the next 5-10 years will turn the small city into more of a destination over time. More jobs to be had means more people means expansion of the city.

Any thoughts on any of these subjects? Just curious what any Oregonians think of these things since all I can do from Seattle is google search and read.

)

[PNW-type-gal]

I don't give the LNG pipeline much of a chance of success, not because I think state regulators will listen to people who have objections to it (although they should), but because the current price of oil/gas makes it less than cost-effective. Plus the Russians are currently building a pipeline through Siberia to China which will supply natural gas at a much lower rate.

At any rate, I wouldn't count on any of those projects necessarily going through, as they are all in the very early planning stages at the moment.

[AKStafford]

"Alaskan pipeline?" Are you talking about one of the several proposed natural gas pipelines? It'll never happen. It's not economically viable, or the oil/gas companies would've built it a long time ago. The state wants to put up the money, but it's broke with a 3 billion dollar budget shortfall this year.

[Metlakatla]

I was wondering about that too...I thought the proposed pipeline project was pretty much shelved because there's no real market for it right now.

[PNW-type-gal]

Jordan Cove (aka Pacific Connector Pipeline Project) is still more-or-less among the living. There was even a rally against it in Salem today. Keystone at least could forward the argument that it was about energy independence - Jordan Cove is entirely about export of Canadian natural gas and the US allowing a Canadian company to use eminent domain laws to seize private (and US public) property for corporate profits.

The railway project is about upgrading the rail lines to Coos Bay terminals to allow export of coal to Asia. That one has a HUGE price tag and while companies have been in talks about it, no company wants to foot the bill to upgrade the infrastructure and the county and state don't have the money, either.

Last I read, deepening the harbor and dredging were waiting on either project to go through, but again, the state doesn't have the money and the US isn't likely to shell it out, either.

[peaceloveandjulie]

Wow, I hope that Pacific Connector goes down the tubes. Putting an underground, high-pressure gas pipeline in an area with drought, wildfires, tremors, and endangered eco-systems? Oh, and mostly volunteer fire departments -- if any, at all -- in the very rural areas along the stretch. Gee, what could possibly go wrong? The proposed route is 15-20 miles south of my land so I've been watching this.

I've read that Pres. Obama wants it to go through to give Russia some major competition in the natural gas market. Kitzhaber left behind a list of things they'd have to do to get approval by Oregon agencies, I read. Good ole Ron Wyden is cheering it on. I think Jeff Merkley may be, too. Of course, the people most in favor of these things aren't usually the ones who have to live right near them.

I'm not exactly an Oregonian yet, OP; I own land there, pay property tax on it, and am planning to begin building in a few months. But I think I'm far from alone in not wanting the beautiful state to become a "destination" as you call it for heavily polluting jobs/industries that destroy fragile habitats and the environment. How many manmade and natural disasters, how many species need to disappear, before it sinks in that this planet and OUR species is in real trouble?

Growth and jobs through environmentally friendly and sustainable industries and enterprises? Sure! Just as they're learning on other continents, you can kill animals into extinction and clearcut forests or you can protect the animals and forests so that they can become a tourist attraction and enduring source of revenue, jobs and pride.

[Elk Wallow]

Girl, I can't rep you enough.

[Larry Caldwell]

There's a natural gas pipeline across one of my parents' farms. Other than a 10' square monitoring and control station on one property corner, you would never know it was there. It's buried 8' down and has been there for 50 years. The gas company paid for the easement, and paid for the crop they would have destroyed. As it worked out, my dad got both the crop and the payment, so he was well satisfied.

[Starlage]

thanks for the responses! I call it the "alaskan" pipeline because quite frankly I don't know what else to call it. Just the proposed natural gas line, I guess. I do realize it is in very early considerations, just thought I'd feel out what people actually living there think of it or have heard. I get that people want to protect the environment and animals living in it but I don't see why a gasline would do that. It would benefit the little towns greatly in my opinion. Seems like the state/ environmental organizations or whatever would do whatever they could do protect the environments while still letting the project happen.

Interesting to read opinions on all of this and I think it'll be interesting to follow and see what happens in Oregon as far as all of that goes.

[PNW-type-gal]

Originally Posted by Starlage

thanks for the responses! I call it the "alaskan" pipeline because quite frankly I don't know what else to call it. Just the proposed natural gas line, I guess. I do realize it is in very early considerations, just thought I'd feel out what people actually living there think of it or have heard. I get that people want to protect the environment and animals living in it but I don't see why a gasline would do that. It would benefit the little towns greatly in my opinion. Seems like the state/ environmental organizations or whatever would do whatever they could do protect the environments while still letting the project happen.

Interesting to read opinions on all of this and I think it'll be interesting to follow and see what happens in Oregon as far as all of that goes.

So you don't know what it is, you don't know where it comes from, but you think it is a good idea? Based on what?

The Pacific Connector Pipeline is a natural gas pipeline that would run natural gas from the junction in Eastern Oregon to Coos Bay. There is no Alaska connection with this pipeline. It is run by a Canadian company, Veresen (via several sock puppet corporations so that the main Veresen company and their shareholders have no liability). Like part of the Ruby pipeline (which at least provides gas to US users, not entirely for export), it would be constructed by a Texas company using their own employees.

if Veresen thinks it is such a great idea, the terminal can go in at to Vancouver, BC.