FERC Tells National Marine Fisheries Service to Move Forward on Project Evaluation

In accordance with requirements of the Endangered Species Act, the FERC has twice requested that the National Marine Fisheries Service move forward with its evaluation of the proposed Bradwood Landing LNG terminal’s effect on local fish.

Bradwood’s opponents say the impacts of construction and operation of the terminal on salmon populations in the lower Columbia could be devastating, though the project’s backer, NorthernStar Natural Gas, has said mitigation measures will minimize those impacts.

NMFS has declined to move forward with the evaluation of the project’s potential impacts, pending more data from NorthernStar—and two months ago requested a substantial amount of additional data.

Now the FERC has told NMFS that it must conduct its evaluation with the data it has, saying that the information requested is either contained in NorthernStar’s previous submissions or else couldn’t “reasonably be developed or obtained.”

Additionally, the evaluation should be completed by March 8, says FERC, a deadline that reflects a 90-day period from the agency’s agreement to commence its formal consultation.

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