Not many have heard of the Pacific Connector pipeline, but a majority of those asked about it in a randomly selected survey say they would favor its construction and operation from Coos Bay, across Douglas County and to the Klamath Falls area.

Paid for by backers of the jointly proposed 230-mile long pipeline and liquefied natural gas terminal in Coos Bay, the survey suggests a majority of residents in Douglas, Coos, Jackson and Klamath counties support the projects.

Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline and Jordan Cove Energy Project hired Moore Information of Portland to conduct the survey by telephone among 400 registered voters in the four counties. Pollsters got responses from 100 residents in each county to 20 multiple-choice-style questions.

The survey, which has a potential margin of error of 5 percent, determined 54 percent favor the pipeline and 16 percent oppose it.

The rest were undecided.

When asked if they had “seen, read or heard anything” about the pipeline, 51 percent of the respondents said yes and 46 percent said no.

The survey determined 56 percent favor the LNG terminal in Coos Bay and 16 percent oppose it; 62 percent said they knew something about it and 37 percent said they didn’t.

Supporters cited potential job creation as a main reason for favoring the projects.

Detractors cited potential hazards as a main reason for opposing the projects.

Yet 82 percent of those polled said pipelines transmitting natural gas can be operated safely.

The strongest opposition to the projects — 65 percent — came when pollsters asked respondents how they felt about government and utilities using eminent domain when compensation for land use can’t be agreed upon with landowners.

Nearly half of the respondents — 49 percent — said they’d favor the projects “if some of the natural gas shipped into Oregon were transferred to other states.”

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which prepares the projects’ environmental impact statement with cooperation from agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, published a draft statement Aug. 29 that said the joint project’s main objective is serving energy markets in Southern Oregon, northern California and northern Nevada.

At several meetings in the past hosted by FERC or project applicants, many opponents contended that Oregon will unfairly be used as an energy corridor for other states.

However, Pacific Connector project manager Dan Lattin said he and other project workers have gained support for the terminal and pipeline from many people who typically don’t attend such meetings.

“A lot of landowners and environmental groups tend to be the ones that stand up and speak,” he said.

However, Diane Phillips, director of the Oregon Citizens Against The Pipeline, said she thinks the sampling of 400 people was too small to get an accurate picture of project sentiment from residents.

Phillips also questions the poll’s legitimacy, saying it unfairly garners sentiment from respondents on job creation and alternative energy sources when many of those being questioned hadn’t heard of the projects before.

“I think it’s a real fine line between a push poll and a regular poll,” she said.

Bob Moore, president of the polling company, said he worked with project supporters to craft questions according to how detailed they wanted them to be.

Lattin said he was surprised to learn that so many polled had not heard of the pipeline before.

“In Oregon it seems to be in the news and in the newspapers quite a bit,” Lattin said.

The majority of those polled — 23 percent — were in the 45 to 54 age group. Those 65 and older made up 20 percent and 18- to 34-year-olds made up 14 percent.

The respondents were 44 percent Republican and 35 percent Democrat, with women making up 54 percent.

• You can reach reporter Adam Pearson at 957-4213 or by e-mail at apearson@nrtoday.com.