First of four FERC hearings held in Coos County on Jordan Cove Project

COOS BAY, Ore. — The citizens of Coos County came together yesterday at Southwestern Oregon Community College to provide input to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on the Jordan Cove Project Draft Environmental Impact Study.

Different than most hearings for regulatory permits the project has had so far, The FERC hearing was open for eight hours. Concerned community members on both sides of the issue were given numbers and asked to wait in SWOCC’s Hales Center for their number to be called, at which time the individual would give their comment to a court recorder.

Over the next few days, three more hearings will be held in Douglas, Jackson, and Klamath counties. At the Coos County hearing, around 200 folks were able to get in and give their comments on the project.

Whether in support or opposition of the project, it was clear that the citizens who showed have the community’s best interests at heart.

Early in the day a group of around 50 or so, led by the conservation group Rogue Climate, held a demonstration in opposition to the LNG project.

“The Jordan Cove Project has divided and distracted our community for 14 years,” local marine biologist Jan Hodder said. “It’s unsafe, It’s unfair, and it’s a bad idea … we need projects that unify our community, not divide it.”

Jordan Cove supporters had a camp of their own just off of the community college campus.

“We would have a substantial amount of work with this project,” said Lou Christian with the Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 290. “It’s a huge amount of work to process and our journeymen in Oregon.”

It is important to note that FERC will be accepting written public comment on the DEIS through July, 5. As the rest of the FERC hearings unfold in the coming days, The World newspaper will provide updated stories.