| Save Casco Bay, Inc., in light of the recent LNG proposals being considered in Casco Bay, has written the following letter to Governor Baldacci, Commissioner Cashman and the members of the Energy and Utilities Committee and the Natural Resources Committee. Save Casco Bay, Inc. feels that the present method for locating these facilities is not in the best interest of the State of Maine and its communities. |
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The Honorable John Elias Baldacci Re: Leadership Needed on LNG Terminal Siting Dear Governor Baldacci: Save Casco Bay, Inc., is a Maine nonprofit corporation organized to promote the common good and general welfare of the citizens of the Casco Bay region of the State of Maine within the meaning of Section 501(c)(4) of the federal tax code. As stated in its Articles of Incorporation, Save Casco Bay, Inc., was formed by concerned citizens in the Casco Bay region
By way of background, during the winter of 2003-4 we watched the community of Harpswell being torn apart by the proposal to site an LNG facility in their town. We were appalled at the process and the absence of impact studies to understand the project's effect on the economy, the environment and the way of life in the surrounding fishing communities. We were assured all along the way that those studies would be completed after the town voted to go forward. We were assured that the State and Federal government would make sure that the impacts were minimal. People were still concerned. Last week we were stunned to see the same process begin in Cumberland regarding the placement of an LNG facility on Hope Island. Cumberland residents were offered even less information than was given to the voters in Harpswell, because TransCanada felt that the information they gave was used against them in Harpswell. Information concerning the impacts of the proposed Hope Island site on the neighboring island and mainland communities was sorely lacking from the decision to consider this potential location. Save Casco Bay, Inc. was incorporated on May 10 by concerned citizens in the communities of the Casco Bay region in an effort to help develop a rational informed process for siting an LNG terminal in New England. After careful deliberation of the competing interests of local control and the need for regional planning for industrial facilities with large economic and environmental impacts such as LNG terminals, Save Casco Bay Inc. has decided to support a regional approach to siting LNG terminals. We support a collaborative process involving dialogue among all stakeholders designed to blend home rule authority of municipalities with the appropriate involvement of the State of Maine for a regional approach to siting an LNG terminal. We believe such an approach is appropriate when both large scale economic development and public health and safety are at stake. To protect the rights of citizens at the federal, state and local levels we suggest discussion of the following process: 1. Use a regional needs assessment to determine the number and size of LNG terminals needed in New England and determine how many sites are needed in Maine; 2. Require Maine municipalities that want to host an LNG terminal to participate in a state wide process coordinated by the Department of Economic and Community Development with participation of the State Planning Office and other state agencies responsible for energy, marine fisheries, conservation, emergency management and public health and safety; 3. Identify specific criteria including economic, environmental and community impacts as well as cost/benefit analysis to rank the appropriateness of each potential site; 4. Apply the criteria to all potential sites and rate their overall suitability; 5. Hold a vote in the municipalities within a 5 mile radius surrounding the highest rated potential sites and rule out those sites where local acceptance is not indicated; and 6. Bar the issuance of all municipal and state permits needed for construction of an LNG terminal facility unless the site is approved through this regional siting process. Such a coordinated process provides adequate checks and balances by requiring communities desiring to host an LNG terminal to opt into the process. Thus communities could make an affirmative decision on whether to host an LNG terminal at the outset. Each community could use its own local process to decide whether to participate in the regional process at the state level. The regional site selection screening process would then work to provide a regional solution to the problem of finding the most appropriate site for one or more LNG terminals in Maine. Once the regional site selection process works to score the alternative sites, the final decision to host a terminal would rest with the communities surrounding the site. The current approach used by the gas companies is divisive and preys on uninformed town officials who are not prepared to deal with the complex set of competing issues involved in the decision to appropriately site an LNG facility. A regional approach would provide the information necessary for the various levels of government to fairly evaluate a project. This proposed regional approach would give local residents the initial decision to host a site and the surrounding community the final decision as to whether a plant should be built in their neighborhood. If legislation is needed in order to institute such a regional approach to LNG terminal siting, then we encourage your administration to take a leadership role in crafting a workable system with input from the appropriate state agencies and our elected representatives at the state legislature. We welcome the opportunity to participate in discussions concerning this issue and look forward to working with you and members of your administration to lead the way toward establishing a regional approach to siting one or more LNG terminals in Maine. Very Truly Yours, Save Casco Bay, Inc.
By: ________________________
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