US:Natural Gas a Dirty Deal

[The.Greenbase@gb.greenpeace.org]

>>   NATURAL GAS A DIRTY DEAL, SAY ENVIRONMENTALISTS ON NW TOUR  


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                    GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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>>   NATURAL GAS A DIRTY DEAL, SAY ENVIRONMENTALISTS ON NW TOUR  
 
SPOKANE (GP) 21 March, 1995 (GP) Natural gas is being promoted as
a clean and cheap energy source.  But regional environmentalists
are touring the Northwest region to debunk this myth by
highlighting the economic and environmental risks of increasing
our dependence on natural-gas fired power plants. 
 
     Greenpeace, the Northwest Conservation Act Coalition and the
Rocky Mountain Ecosystem Coalition are conducting an educational
tour, which includes community meetings in Montana, Washington,
Idaho and Oregon.  The purpose of the tour is to ensure that
citizens and policy makers are aware of price, supply,
environmental and regulatory risks associated with relying on
Canadian natural gas to fuel Northwest power plants. 
 
     So far the tour has attracted strong attention from the
public as well as the Canadian natural gas industry, which is
tracking the environmentalists with a public relations team.   
 
     The stakes are large, with the natural gas industry standing
to lose millions of dollars in lucrative contracts in the
Northwest. For example, in the next 15 years, regional utilities
plan to install enough gas-fired capacity to power Seattle and
Portland twice over. More than 100 gas-fired plants are proposed,
far out of proportion to the need for new power.  But the stakes
are larger still for the citizens of the Northwest if the
Canadian Gas Industry successfully hooks our region on its dirty
energy source. 
 
     With a goal of implementing cleaner, more environmentally
sound solutions to the regions energy needs, the
environmentalists are promoting energy efficiency and renewable
energies such as wind, solar and geothermal.  Unlike natural gas,
these forms of energy result in few or no impacts on air quality
and water resources.   In contrast, the ecological damage caused
by the exploration and extraction of natural gas are extensive,
including road building, cutting seismic exploration lines,
building pipeline and power line rights-of-way and contracting
gas processing plants which all contribute to habitat
destruction.   
 
     The activities of the gas industry have already disrupted
19,500 square miles of land in British Columbia and Alberta.     
 
ENDS
 
NORTHWEST CONSERVATION ACT COALITION 206/621-0094
GREENPEACE  206/632-4326
ROCKY MOUNTAIN ECOSYSTEM COALITION  206/266-2468