Firm’s Handling of LNG Terminal and Nearby Pipeline May Create Conflict of Interest
The Oregonian reports that Oregon regulators have voiced concerns over the potential conflict of interest of an energy consulting firm during the environmental review process of both an LNG terminal proposed for Oregon and a gas pipeline that may connect to the proposed terminal. A conflict would exist if the two projects are deemed related, but the firm, Natural Resources Group (NRG), told the newspaper that only one person worked on both projects and that NRG has even rented additional office space in Minneapolis to assure federal regulators that its staff is not working on both projects. However, an aide to Gov. Ted Kulongoski noted that “we have every indication that FERC is approaching this with a fairly light touch. We’d like to see a more robust approach.”