Q: According to a map in the Coos Bay Public Library, the liquefied natural gas terminal proposed by Jordan Cove Energy Project is in a tsunami zone. I want to know if Oregon law prohibits building either a fire station or a facility that deals with hazardous materials in a tsunami zone.

A: On the first point, yes. Oregon law prohibits the construction of fire stations and other “essential structures” in a tsunami zone. When it comes to LNG terminals, however, the code is “not real clear on that.”

That was the response from David Martin, a policy staff member in the Salem office of Sen. Joanne Verger, D-Coos Bay. Verger is the co-chairwoman of the Emergency Preparedness and Ocean Policy Committee, so her staff is knowledgeable about tsunami zone protocols.

“There is a statute that says schools, critical care centers, and police and fire stations cannot be constructed in a tsunami zone,” Martin said. “But an LNG terminal is kind of in a gray area.”

The code Martin was referring to, ORS455.446 and ORS455.447, addresses planning and facility designing for tsunami hazards. It mandates the developer of a hazardous facility “shall consult with the State Department of Geology and Mineral Industries for assistance in determining the impact of possible tsunamis on the proposed development and for assistance in preparing methods to mitigate risk at the site of a potential tsunami.”

Whether an LNG terminal would be considered a hazardous facility, however, is not explicitly apparent.

Don Lewis, a DOGAMI associate director of geological surveying and services, said the matter is irrelevant, because oversight of the Coos County terminal falls under the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

“We don't have teeth,” he said.

But despite the ambiguity about DOGAMI's role, Lewis said several staff members in his department were consulted by Jordan Cove.

“We do have an involvement in the project and we do feel our comments are being taken into consideration,” he said.

Those issues include the potential impacts of wave inundation and severe erosion following a tsunami.

Jordan Cove Project Manager Bob Braddock said those concerns are being addressed with a simple solution.

Each component of the facility, from the compressors to the co-generation plant, will be constructed at a minimum elevation of 55 feet. The shoreline along the North Spit is situated about 20 feet above sea level, so additional fill material will be used in design plans.

As part of the FERC application process, Jordan Cove continues to produce engineering design reviews that take into account seismic events and their impact on the facility. These studies, as well as an emergency response plan, will be vetted by FERC before project approval.

According to FERC Project Manager Paul Friedman, the design reviews would not be available for public inspection if Jordan Cove decides to include them in the Critical Energy Infrastructure Information section of Resource Report No. 13.

To learn more about the FERC application process, those interested can visit the commission's Web site at www.ferc.gov. The Jordan Cove docket number is PF06-25. A complete version of the Oregon code is available at www.leg.state.or.us/ors.