Brent Foster had a poignant photo from a recent protest. It was a large orange tractor on a trailer with a huge sign. The picture resembled the "No U Turn" signs on the highways with LNG at the center. It read beneath this symbol, YAMHILL FARMERS ALL AGREE. NO LNG.
Brent Foster was the Keynote Speaker at the Farm to Chef Conference, and provided some insight to this Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) issue. Brent is an attorney who works for Oregon Attorney General, John Kroger and has been intricately involved in the fight against the proposed LNG pipeline and port-terminals related to that pipeline.
In the news recently an LNG terminal in Texas has applied for a permit to export LNG. This completely contradicts the intentions stated when the port was first proposed and built, to import LNG. But if one evaluates the conditions on the ground, you will notice that exporting LNG is the only reasonable purpose for the pipeline in the first place and it always has been. You see, the US is believed to be the sixth largest possessor of Natural Gas in the world. Because of this abundance, domestically produced natural gas costs about $4/gallon. Overseas, in countries that lack this resource, the price is around $18 to $20/gallon. So importing LNG is like bringing sand to the beach - there's plenty of it and no one really sees the need for more.
So who needs LNG and at what expense? And, what will a LNG pipeline mean for Oregon farms?
The LNG corporations plan to extract our public resources and export them to some other country, padding the pockets of corporate fat cats at the expense of our environment and our family farms.
Strong arm tactics are being employed to get at our land. Eminent domain is being declared to enable the pipeline to go through private properties across the state with no recourse to prevent or alter its path. Agricultural land is being targeted for two reasons. The first reason, and I feel that I am being generous, is because of lower population densities. In the event of a disaster, the casualties would be fewer, which could mean only thousands, instead of tens of thousands, killed or injured. But given the history of corporate ethics in our country, I actually find this consideration secondary. What is likely more critical to their decision is that regulations on the pipeline are less stringent in the agricultural areas. As that corporation looks at their expenses, they can save a lot of money if they do not have to be so careful or considerate of people, of farmers and their families.
Eminent domain is anything but considerate. Landowners must be compensated, but the values are often far below what others might consider fair market value for the land taken, and the depreciation of the property holding, once that pipeline carves its way through. Also coming with this intrusive pipeline are new restrictions on the landowner as to what may be done with the land along the 50-foot right of way. There are a host of regulations as to which crops may be planted there regardless of what was there before the pipeline plowed through. Oregon vineyards and forests are but a few examples of what will be lost, if and when the pipeline comes.
What can we, the farmers, do? First, stop listening to the gas companies. To these companies, any effort to prevent the the pipeline will bring the characterization of being extremist or radical. NEWSFLASH - Call us what you want, but this is our fight and we aren't going to let short-sighted, corporate greed destroy our farms. We are farmers, the salt of the earth agrarians who grow food and if protecting our farms is radical, then we're radicals.
On March 15, 2009, at 1 pm, there will be a large march in Salem to express the dissent of people who disagree that Oregon needs this LNG pipeline. Go to www.OregonFirst.net for details on how you can be part of this very important day. People need to know what we are sacrificing when we concede to these multinational corporations that have little consideration as to how this pipeline will effect people, local family farms and our local food souce.
If we don't take action now, there will be no reversing this scar on the land and on our farms. This is when we must be our brother's keeper, our neighbor's keeper. Even if your land is not impacted by the pipeline, you will feel the effects of this private enterprise as it furthers our dependence on non-renewable energy. Think about how much further we could be if the monies that are to be spent on the LNG pipeline were redirected into research and development for alternatives to fossil fuels.
Don't wait until it's too late. Take action now! See you on March 15th in Salem!!
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