NEXT Clean Fuels, Inc. —a Houston-based company—wants to build one of the country’s largest “renewable” diesel refineries in Clatskanie, Oregon. If built, this refinery on the banks of the Columbia River Estuary would fill over 100 acres of wetlands and discharge harmful pollutants during construction and operation.
In addition to these significant water quality impacts, the proposal represents a classic case of climate greenwashing. Biofuel refining presents many of the same risks as conventional oil refining, and the new facility would be permitted to emit 1 million tons of greenhouse gases each year, while consuming the same amount of fracked gas
annually as the City of Eugene. The fuel would be made largely from carbon-intensive feedstocks like soybean oil, and transported by barge to distant markets.
In short, the NEXT facility would create unacceptable water and air pollution in a sensitive area that is critically important for migrating fish, shorebirds, and other aquatic life. So NEDC and our allies are fighting to make sure this misguided project never gets built. In May, NEDC, Columbia Riverkeeper, and two local Clatskanie residents sued the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality for issuing a water quality permit for the proposed refinery. As part of the federal permitting process, NEXT must obtain a Certification from Oregon DEQ (known as a “§ 401 Certification”) that construction and operations at the refinery will comply with all state water quality standards. Unfortunately, DEQ’s boilerplate Certification for this project fails to protect water quality in the Columbia River and other surrounding waterways, and does not address issues like the seismic vulnerability or severe flooding risk of the proposed project. Briefing is underway in the case, with a summary judgment hearing scheduled for January 2026.
This lawsuit is just one piece of the fight against this dangerous proposal. Moving forward, NEDC and our allies will be closely monitoring and engaging with each step of the facility’s permitting process. Keep an eye on NEDC’s website for updates on this important fight.
NEDC and our partners are represented in this case by Advocates for the West.