Students and community members networked and discussed how to get involved in advocacy efforts to oppose a proposed pipeline which would run through Southern Oregon.
UO student Ada Ball hosted the event Tuesday, Sept. 26 at the Many Nations Longhouse. She updated the public on news regarding the Jordan Cove Energy Project — a proposal, by Calgary-based energy company Veresen, to transport liquefied natural gas along a pipeline running through Coos, Klamath, Jackson and Douglas counties.
A 22-person audience, including members of the UO Native American Student Union and Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group, discussed upcoming events to organize and oppose the project.
Ball set up the event after learning that the pipeline, named the Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline, would run through tribal lands and sacred sites. Ball’s tribes, the Kahosadi, Dakubetede and Modoc, have traditional homelands the pipeline would run through.
“This pipeline is going through a couple of my traditional territories,” said Ball. “For the past couple of months, I have been trying to figure out how to protect some sacred sites that this pipeline threatens, but we don’t have a lot to bargain with legally. We don’t have reservations, at least with the tribes where I’m from.”
Ball encouraged members of the audience to take action, by sending public comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
“Submitting comments to FERC is participating in their process of consultation,” said Ball. “And what that does is create a documented case of people opposing the project. FERC has to be neutral and make decisions based on those comments.”
Two UO OSPIRG members were present at the event. The student advocacy group, which runs campaigns every year, has focused one on opposing the pipeline. According to Kyra Solis, a co-director for the campaign, the university chapter is planning to collect 3,000 signatures at the UO, as part the non-profit’s statewide effort to collect 5,000 statewide.
She also said the group plans to attend Oregon Governor Kate Brown’s events because she believes it was public pressure that influenced Brown to vote down a proposal to sell the Elliot State Forest in May.
“We plan to go on trips to all of Governor Brown’s events in order to keep her being a defender of the environment,” said Solis.
Ball said she has hope that grassroots efforts will prevent the Jordan Cove Project from becoming a reality.
“Locally what we can do is put pressure on Oregon representatives,” said Ball. “A lot of [advocacy organizations] are communicating. After statewide meetings, connections have been made, Facebook friends requests have sent, people are talking and gearing up for action.”
The post Proposed pipeline on native lands in Oregon: UO students discuss possible solutions appeared first on Emerald Media.