A company that wants to build a liquefied natural gas pipeline through northwest Oregon took its case to a state appeals board Thursday.
The developer, Oregon LNG, is trying to reverse a Clatsop County decision to reject the project.
The pipeline is needed for a planned natural gas export terminal near Astoria. The project hit a major roadblock last fall when the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners denied permission to build the final 41 miles of a pipeline to the terminal.
Oregon LNG's attorney asked the state's Land Use Board of Appeals to overturn the denial. The company claimed county commissioners were biased against the project since some had spoken out against LNG before taking office.
Affected landowner Paul Sansone calls that argument baseless.
"The reason why you elect someone for office is that they have prior experience," he says.
The proposed export terminal is one of two on the Northwest coast attracting national interest. The Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals expects to issue a decision in about a month.
Copyright 2014 Northwest News Network
