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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Barbershop-style singers help local schools ... Water plant upgrade to increase water bills ... Giving back to the givers ... Barbershop-style singers help local schools ... Water plant upgrade to increase water bills ... Giving back to the givers ... PORTLAND Portland planning commission gives OK to propane terminal Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Apr. 8, 2015 at 8:50 PM By The Associated Press Posted Apr. 8, 2015 at 8:50 PM » Social News PORTLAND — Portland's planning commission has narrowly approved a zoning change for a $500 million terminal that would export Canadian propane to Asia. The change goes to the City Council for final approval, The Oregonian reported. A vote is likely in a few weeks. At a six-hour meeting Tuesday, the commission at first deadlocked 5-5. But after a series of amendments, Commissioner Teresa St. Martin changed her vote, and the change was approved 6-4. The proposal comes from Pembina Pipeline of Calgary, Alberta. It plans to ship propane derived from natural gas in western Canada. It would go by rail to the terminal at the Port of Portland, where the refrigerated liquid fuel would be stored in tanks before it's loaded on ships. Hundreds of people gathered outside as the Planning and Sustainability Commission held a public hearing. Many called the terminal dangerous and harmful to the environment, releasing 3 million to 5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. "We need to teach the future generation that fossil fuels are not the way," Heather Tenant said. Pembina Vice President Eric Dyck said his company has been transporting propane successfully for decades, KOIN-TV reported. "We've been handling propane for 40 years and done it safely each and every one of those 40 years," Dyck said. "We are proud of that fact, and this facility will be exactly the same." The terminal represents a third front for the movement of fossil fuels west from the interior of North America. Trains are doing a vigorous business shipping crude oil from the Northern Plains to West Coast points for refining. Proposals to ship coal from the Powder River Basin of Montana and Wyoming for export to Asia have fared less well, running into regulatory and market barriers. The propane terminal would be at the port's Terminal 6 opposite West Hayden Island at the confluence of the Columbia and Willamette rivers. Pembina Pipeline says the terminal would create 600 construction and 35 permanent jobs. It would go online in 2018. The zoning change would allow the Canadian company to run a short pipeline over a narrow strip of land at the shoreline that is currently zoned for conservation. Without the change, the current zoning would prohibit Pembina's proposal. By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Apr. 8, 2015 at 8:50 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501