NEXT Renewable Fuels refinery at Port Westward, on the Columbia River in Columbia County just north of Clatskanie, has been in process for several years. Only one stage of approval remains, from the Army Corps of Engineers. Comments are open for a few weeks, and they’ll issue their final report this year. All other, relevant government bodies have signed off on it. By the time the next legislature is sworn in, the approval process will be over. So since no action will be available in the next session, I only spent a few hours researching this. Having said that…

I read Governor Kotek’s support letter from January 27. She mentions “annually…reducing over 7 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.” I read the Columbia Riverkeeper’s web page about it. They say the plant would emit “1.15 million tons of carbon pollution each year.” Setting aside the carbon/carbon dioxide unit discrepancy at the moment (Is it a typo from Riverkeepers? My guess is that they meant CO2. If not, one ton of CO2 contains a little more than ¼ ton of carbon, and it’s CO2 that’s the problem.) Regardless, this is the single most important number in the docs and is a clear win for the project, slowing global warming. Two hundred fifty permanent jobs and 3,000 transitory jobs definitely makes it better. So that’s the side I’m on. Let’s do it! Never let the perfect be the enemy of the better.

It’s stunning to me how long the process has taken so far. If elected, I’d like to see if there are ways to multithread the approvals so that they run concurrently, not consecutively. I’d also spend some time looking into the individual steps that the State of Oregon requires and learn about them just to learn about them. Learning is an important part of the job.

I have a particular interest in longer-term, higher-risk concerns – in this case, the geology. Aside from CO2 emissions (which is the number one selling point for the project), it’s the issue I’m most interested in, specifically earthquake and tsunami hazards. I scanned through the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and found what I was looking for starting in Volume 1 on page 82, Section 3.2: Geology and Soil. They acknowledge the Cascadia Subduction Zone and the other significant faults in the area, and talk about how it’s affected the design considerations. Most saliently, “Foundations would consist of 90-foot-long [steel] piles driven into the soils and the construction of soilcrete piles to a depth of 60 feet.” More specifically, on page 57, “15,200 90-foot-long, 16-inch steel piles.” All of that addresses my concerns. They’ve thought about it and planned for it.

Let me say a few more things about the legislative process. One, while it would clearly affect our district, strictly speaking it’s a couple of miles outside the district, so I’d want to collaborate most of all with the rep in HD 32. Another is that my knowledge is limited, and for every piece of legislation some people will know more than I do about the issue at hand. Legislators are generalists, not specialists. My promise is to use my social, communication, and critical thinking skills to understand problems the Oregon Legislature can address. Then I’ll find people to trust and respect about the issues behind legislation I or someone else proposes. Even more important is that as a representative it’s my job to know what you and all my constituents want, need, and value; and to make choices that have the most benefit for the most people. Again, never let the perfect be the enemy of the better. I will collaborate with the rest of my colleagues in the legislature. I want to be a work horse, not a show horse, and focus in depth on the issues that matter most to you.