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He moved into a Buddhist monastery. Then he heard about the big refinery going in nearby
He moved into a Buddhist monastery. Then he heard about the big refinery going in nearby
He moved into a Buddhist monastery. Then he heard about the big refinery going in nearby

Published on: 05/16/2026

This news was posted by Oregon Today News

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Bob Posert walks through the Jizo forest at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The forested memorial space holds handmade Jizo statues left for loved ones who have died.Gardens at Great Vow Zen Monastery grow food for people living at the monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The monastery sits in a rural landscape of farms, forests and wildlife less than a mile from Port Westward Industrial Park, where the proposed NXTClean Fuels refinery would be built.Gardens at Great Vow Zen Monastery grow food for people living at the monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The monastery sits in a rural landscape of farms, forests and wildlife less than a mile from Port Westward Industrial Park, where the proposed NXTClean Fuels refinery would be built.Handmade Jizo statues line a mossy path through the Jizo forest at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The statues are left as memorials for loved ones who have died.Gardens at Great Vow Zen Monastery grow food for people living at the monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The monastery sits in a rural landscape of farms, forests and wildlife less than a mile from Port Westward Industrial Park, where the proposed NXTClean Fuels refinery would be built.Goldfinches feed at a bird feeder at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The monastery sits in a rural Columbia County landscape of farms, forests and wildlife, less than a mile from Port Westward Industrial Park.Port Westward industrial park can be seen through the trees from the entrance to Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.Small Buddha and Jizo statues are displayed in cabinets inside the dining hall at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The monastery is housed in the former Quincy-Mayger Elementary School.Meditation cushions, chairs and folded blankets are arranged inside the meditation hall at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. A Buddha statue stands at the front of the room.The Shrine of Vows at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., holds handwritten notes and offerings on April 29, 2026.Bob Posert gives a tour of the Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. Posert, a Buddhist in training at the monastery, has challenged the federal environmental review for the proposed NXTClean Fuels refinery at nearby Port Westward Industrial Park.Handmade Jizo statues line a mossy path through the Jizo forest at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The statues are left as memorials for loved ones who have died.The dining hall at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., is seen on April 29, 2026. The monastery is housed in the former Quincy-Mayger Elementary School, once part of Columbia County School District 5J.The Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Oregon, on April 29, 2026.Poppies bloom in a greenhouse at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The monastery’s gardens grow food and flowers for people living there.A teapot sits on a wooden mat at a dining table in a guest room at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.Bob Posert gives a tour of the Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. Posert, a Buddhist in training at the monastery, has challenged the federal environmental review for the proposed NXTClean Fuels refinery at nearby Port Westward Industrial Park.A large model of the former Quincy-Mayger Elementary School is displayed inside the dining hall at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The monastery is housed in the former school building.A large Buddha statue stands in an open-air courtyard at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.Bob Posert stands outside Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. Posert, a Buddhist in training at the monastery, has submitted more than 260 pages of public comments challenging the federal environmental review for the proposed NXTClean Fuels refinery at nearby Port Westward Industrial Park.Meditation cushions, chairs and folded blankets are arranged inside the meditation hall at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.Goldfinches are regular vistors at the Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The monastery sits in a rural Columbia County landscape of farms, forests and wildlife, less than a mile from Port Westward Industrial Park.Poppies bloom in a greenhouse at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The monastery’s gardens grow food and flowers for people living there.Tulips bloom near the entrance to Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.A small Jizo statue sits beside a fountain and blooming rhododendrons near the entrance to Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.Handmade vow plaques hang at the Shrine of Vows at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.Bob Posert gives a tour of the greenhouse and gardens at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. Posert, a Buddhist in training at the monastery, has challenged the federal environmental review for the proposed NXTClean Fuels refinery at nearby Port Westward Industrial Park.A sunken circular stage lit by skylights is seen inside Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The monastery is housed in the former Quincy-Mayger Elementary School.Tulips bloom near the entrance to Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.The dining hall at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., is seen on April 29, 2026. The monastery is housed in the former Quincy-Mayger Elementary School, once part of Columbia County School District 5J.A white sculpture sits inside a small shrine box along a forest path at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.Handmade vow plaques hang at the Shrine of Vows at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.Gardens at Great Vow Zen Monastery grow food for people living at the monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The monastery sits in a rural landscape of farms, forests and wildlife less than a mile from Port Westward Industrial Park, where the proposed NXTClean Fuels refinery would be built.Residents work on the grounds of Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The monastery sits in a rural landscape of gardens, farms, forests and wildlife less than a mile from Port Westward Industrial Park.A female red-winged blackbird perches at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The monastery sits in a rural Columbia County landscape of farms, forests and wildlife, less than a mile from Port Westward Industrial Park.A mailbox for letters to Jizo sits along a path in the Jizo forest at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. Visitors to the forested memorial space can leave notes among the handmade Jizo figures.Bob Posert stands in an open-air courtyard at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. Posert has submitted more than 260 pages of public comments challenging the federal environmental review for the proposed NXTClean Fuels refinery at nearby Port Westward Industrial Park.Handmade vow plaques hang at the Shrine of Vows at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.Handmade vow plaques hang at the Shrine of Vows at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.One of the stone pagodas on the grounds of Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.Wooden Jizo figures are displayed inside Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. A plaque says members of Joen-ji, a Jizo temple in Fukushima, Japan, made 300 carved wood and clay Jizos that were given away in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.Handmade vow plaques hang at the Shrine of Vows at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.Handmade Jizo statues line a mossy path through the Jizo forest at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The statues are left as memorials for loved ones who have died.A small Jizo statue sits beside blooming rhododendrons at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.A photo is displayed inside a small shrine box along a forest path at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.A small Buddha statue sits among bamboo at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The monastery is less than a mile from Port Westward Industrial Park, where the proposed NXTClean Fuels refinery would be built.A small Buddha statue sits among flowers near the front entrance of Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.A sign marks the Shrine of Vows at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.A meditation bell sits on a garden table at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.The monastery is housed in the former Quincy-Mayger Elementary School, once part of Columbia County School District 5J.Rocking chairs are arranged in a gathering space at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The monastery is housed in the former Quincy-Mayger Elementary School, whose interior includes a large sunken circular seating area lit by skylights.A sign marks the Shrine of Vows at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.Bob Posert walks along a forest path beyond the Jizo forest at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. Posert, a Buddhist in training at the monastery, has challenged the federal environmental review for the proposed NXTClean Fuels refinery nearby.Handmade vow plaques hang at the Shrine of Vows at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.Water flows through a rock fountain near the entrance to Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.A sign marks the entrance to the Avenue of Nothing is Broken at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.A large wooden statue stands near the entrance to the dining hall at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.Handmade Jizo statues line a mossy path through the Jizo forest at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The statues are left as memorials for loved ones who have died.Small handmade Jizo figures are tucked among moss and spring growth in the Jizo forest at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The figures are left as memorials for loved ones who have died.One of the stone pagodas on the grounds of Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.Bob Posert reaches out and touches a stone pagoda on the grounds of Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. Posert, a Buddhist in training at the monastery, has challenged the federal environmental review for the proposed NXTClean Fuels refinery at nearby Port Westward Industrial Park.Water flows through a rock fountain near the entrance to Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.One of the stone pagodas on the grounds of Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.Bob Posert stands in an open-air courtyard at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. Posert has submitted more than 260 pages of public comments challenging the federal environmental review for the proposed NXTClean Fuels refinery at nearby Port Westward Industrial Park.Small handmade Jizo figures are tucked among moss and spring growth in the Jizo forest at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The figures are left as memorials for loved ones who have died.Small handmade Jizo figures are tucked among moss and spring growth in the Jizo forest at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The figures are left as memorials for loved ones who have died.The path through the Jizo forest begins beneath a wooden gate at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.Tibetan prayer flags hang above the Jizo forest at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The forested memorial space contains handmade Jizo figures left for loved ones who have died.Gardens at Great Vow Zen Monastery grow food for people living at the monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The monastery sits in a rural landscape of farms, forests and wildlife less than a mile from Port Westward Industrial Park, where the proposed NXTClean Fuels refinery would be built.Residents work on the grounds of Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The monastery sits in a rural landscape of gardens, farms, forests and wildlife less than a mile from Port Westward Industrial Park.Small handmade Jizo figures are tucked among moss and spring growth in the Jizo forest at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The figures are left as memorials for loved ones who have died.Handmade vow plaques hang at the Shrine of Vows at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.A cluster of handmade Jizo figures lines a mossy clearing in the Jizo forest at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.Handmade Jizo figures sit among moss and ferns in the Jizo forest at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.A cluster of handmade Jizo figures lines a mossy clearing in the Jizo forest at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.Bob Posert stands near a stone pagoda on the grounds of Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. Posert, a Buddhist in training at the monastery, has challenged the federal environmental review for the proposed NXTClean Fuels refinery at nearby Port Westward Industrial Park.Bob Posert stands in the Jizo forest at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The forested memorial space contains handmade Jizo figures left for loved ones who have died.A moss-covered Buddha statue sits on the grounds of Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026. The monastery is less than a mile from Port Westward Industrial Park, where the proposed NXTClean Fuels refinery would be built.A cluster of handmade Jizo figures lines a mossy clearing in the Jizo forest at Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore., on April 29, 2026.A Buddha statue sits inside the greenhouse of Great Vow Zen Monastery in Clatskanie, Ore. The monastery is less than a mile from Port Westward Industrial Park, where the proposed NXTClean Fuels refinery would be built.

Between long sessions of meditation and chanting at a Zen monastery just outside Clatskanie, Buddhist-in-training Bob Posert turned his focus to the massive refinery planned less than a mile away.

News Source : https://www.oregonlive.com/environment/2026/05/he-moved-into-a-buddhist-monastery-then-he-heard-about-the-big-refinery-going-in-nearby.html

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