Oregon Environmental Groups Lose Appeal of Coast Guard Recommendation
The Portland Tribune reports that the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has dismissed Columbia Riverkeeper et al.’s appeal of the U.S. Coast Guard’s issuance of letter of recommendation (LOR) that approved transportation of LNG on the Columbia River. According to the report, the petitioners claimed that the Coast Guard failed to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act by not waiting for environmental assessments. The Court’s opinion states that the appeal is part of an effort to prevent construction of the Oregon LNG terminal along the Columbia River in Oregon. In its opinion, the Court ruled that the LOR was not a final agency decision and therefore, the Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the appeal.