|
ASTORIA, Ore. – NorthernStar Natural Gas today unveiled a unique Salmon Enhancement Initiative through its Bradwood Landing Project to provide up to $59 million to improve the health of the Columbia River in cooperation with watershed recovery boards in both Oregon and Washington. The centerpiece of its Salmon Enhancement Initiative is to improve the salmon habitat in the lower Columbia River. NorthernStar has also committed to unparalleled avoidance and mitigation efforts during the construction and ongoing operation of the Bradwood Landing facility that, together with the Salmon Enhancement Initiative, go beyond what state and federal regulations require.
“NorthernStar and Bradwood Landing are committed to sustainable development and creating a lasting legacy of environmental, economic and community health,” said NorthernStar Chief Executive Officer William “Si” Garrett. “Through this initiative, we will build upon the work of the watershed, estuary, tribal, state and federal agency groups that are currently working to protect salmon populations and wildlife habitat along the lower Columbia. We will partner with these groups and provide them with the ongoing financial resources they need to put the best science and research to work restoring salmon on the Columbia.”
Bradwood Landing continues to focus its efforts on developing a clean, safe energy solution for the Pacific Northwest. With North American energy reserves declining and prices rising, the Pacific Northwest deserves and needs a sustainable source of clean, safe energy to power its businesses and heat its homes.
From state-of-the-art technology to first of their kind strategies, rooted in science, Bradwood Landing will use the best existing construction practices as well as new, innovative approaches to avoidance, mitigation and enhancement. Bradwood Landing will avoid adverse impacts wherever possible, mitigate for any possible impacts at the highest restoration ratios and deliver a net improvement to the lower Columbia ecosystem.
Each of the components of Bradwood Landing’s environmental commitment is “above standard” and includes:
Avoidance
Major scientific and technological advances allow us to design
our facility and take operational measures that will effectively
minimize any adverse fish impacts at the Bradwood Landing terminal.
Mitigation
Bradwood Landing will take extraordinary efforts, far above standard
requirements, to compensate for the minimal footprint of our
importation terminal. We will restore formerly diked wetlands,
rehabilitate wildlife habitat, reshape former agricultural
lands into high value shallow water salmon habitat, and rebuild
lower Columbia River wetland and estuary areas.
Enhancement
Bradwood Landing's commitment to salmon enhancement funding to the agencies and organizations with the greatest salmon restoration experience and expertise will make the lower Columbia estuary a national model for how salmon restoration is conducted in the future. Working with our partners, we will focus on increasing salmon productivity and improve their associated ecosystems along the lower Columbia River.
Taken as a whole, the components of the Bradwood Landing environmental commitment, including state of the art avoidance and minimization, robust compensatory mitigation, and substantial and sustained enhancement will result in a significant net ecological benefit to the lower Columbia region.
“Bradwood Landing’s Salmon Enhancement Initiative is a promise fulfilled and a continuing commitment to the region to protect and enhance one of its most cherished symbols”, said Mr. Garrett. “We take pride in our commitment to be leaders on protecting and revitalizing salmon on the lower Columbia.”
About Bradwood Landing
Bradwood Landing believes that natural gas continues to be the best energy source for the Pacific Northwest. The company will deliver new sources of natural gas to this region creating new jobs and millions of dollars in local investment in surrounding communities. When completed, Bradwood Landing will provide an estimated 65 jobs averaging $60,000 a year and spend more than $30 million annually throughout the region to operate and maintain the facility. The facility will also increase the local tax-base by more than $7 million annually, creating a valuable source of income for improvements in essential services and education throughout the region. The company's financial commitment includes unprecedented levels of investment in the local environment. Beyond our deep financial commitments, Bradwood Landing is driven by our promise to make life better wherever we live and work. We want more than a presence our communities; we want to create a positive and lasting legacy that generates community pride.
About NorthernStar Natural Gas, Inc.
At NorthernStar Natural Gas, we create innovative solutions that bring clean, safe, affordable natural gas to meet America's energy needs. Led by a dynamic executive team with deep industry experience, NorthernStar is a US owned and operated company that is currently developing liquefied natural gas terminals across the country. We combine our business aspirations with a bold commitment to improve the communities where we live and work by generating new jobs and economic opportunities, supporting better education for our children and leaving a lasting legacy of environmental excellence in all that we undertake. NorthernStar Natural Gas is the Nation’s Clean, Safe Energy Solution™.
For more information about NorthernStar Natural Gas Inc., please visit:
http://www.northernstar-ng.com
XXX
|
