A proposed renewable-fuels refinery near Clatskanie is facing new scrutiny after environmental groups raised concerns about its developer’s finances, including unpaid corporate taxes, debt tied to Columbia County property and a lawsuit over an unpaid engineering contract. Columbia Riverkeeper and the Northwest Environmental Defense Center detailed their concerns in a memo and asked Gov. Tina Kotek to withdraw her support for the project. They also asked Secretary of State Tobias Read to investigate whether the companies behind the proposal are authorized to do business in Oregon. The groups say the Delaware-registered companies behind NEXT Renewable Fuels owe more than $428,000 in state taxes. Delaware records list NEXT Renewable Fuels Inc. as “void” or “tax delinquent” and NEXT Renewable Fuels Oregon LLC as having ceased to be in good standing. The companies’ corporate status could raise questions about their ability to pursue permits in Oregon, said Audrey Leonard, a senior staff attorney at Columbia Riverkeeper. Read’s office is reviewing the groups’ claims, spokesperson Tess Seger said. Kotek’s office is also reviewing the letter, spokesperson Luke Harkins said. NEXT did not respond to a request for comment. The company’s property south of Port Westward is also at risk of foreclosure. NEXT bought the 25.5-acre lot in 2020 for $3.7 million. Columbia County property records show more than $3.6 million in overdue payments and interest, and a notice of default says the property is scheduled for public auction Nov. 20. In a separate case filed in Columbia County in early September, Houston-based engineering firm LJA Engineering is suing NEXT for $601,974, alleging breach of contract over unpaid work. LJA was hired to prepare a draft environmental impact statement now under review by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. NEXT is proposing to build the $2.5 billion facility at Port Westward, an industrial area with deep-water access to the Columbia River. At full capacity, the refinery could produce as much as 50,000 barrels per day — about 750 million gallons annually — of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel using materials such as animal fats, used cooking oil and crop oils. The company says the project would generate $45 million a year in state and local taxes, create 3,500 construction jobs and support 240 permanent positions. The proposal has backing from some elected officials, labor groups and business organizations. Kotek sent a letter supporting the project in late 2025 during the Army Corps’ review of its environmental impact statement. Opponents, including residents and farmers, have warned that construction could threaten local farms and the dikes and levees that help manage flooding. They have also raised concerns about potential pollution in the Columbia River. The project has secured several state permits but still needs approval from the Army Corps. Efforts to build a biofuels refinery in the area date back more than a decade. Leonard said the financial concerns cast doubt on the economic benefits that were central to the governor’s earlier support.