By Edmund Ruttledge
Facebook has been granted permission to return to Tierra Del Mar earlier than the January 1 date provided for the resumption of its construction project. The new permit was granted by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) in order for Facebook to conduct “scientific research”
associated with its failed undersea cable enterprise. Facebook abandoned the cable project in April when an undersea horizontal drilling device broke leaving industrial trash, including a drill head and 6500 gallons of drilling fluid under the ocean floor off shore from Tierra Del Mar.
Facebook has stated this “research project” will include electrical resistivity tomography and a truck-mounted vertical drill to extract a rock core sample. Facebook has advised OPRD the “research project” may take up to five days sometime in November. During this period vehicle traffic may be interrupted and a marked “safety zone” will be erected around the equipment located on the beach. The public will be required to keep a safe distance back from the operation.
OPRD did not invite public comment before granting this new permit to Facebook
