Port to handle windmill blade shipment soon

The port of Eastport will be handling shipments of windmill blades around the end of April or the first part of May, with other shipments possible. The 108 blades, each 125 feet long, are being shipped from Brazil by General Electric for a project in Maine.

Port Director Chris Gardner says, "There's a tremendous opportunity for us to get more after this." He says the shipments provide an opportunity to show that the port is a good place to bring in the blades and that Federal Marine Terminals and the longshoremen "can do as good as anyone."

Noting that the shipments will be occurring just as the Domtar Corporation's mill in Woodland is shutting down, he refers to the shipments as serendipitous. "The timing couldn't be better."

If the Domtar shutdown continues through the year, wood pulp tonnage would drop an estimated 234,000 tons to 92,000 for the year. The port authority is facing a $580,000 loss in annual revenue if no new income is generated, Gardner noted at the March 16 meeting of the port authority board of directors. With budget adjustments, the shortfall has been reduced to just under $200,000. Those adjustments include a $100,000 savings this year through a change in the terms of a loan from The First for warehouses, so that only the interest will be paid. Other savings include a drop in expenses from handling fewer ships and the elimination of maintenance reserve funds.

Board member George "Bud" Finch suggested the board hold a workshop to discuss the port's options if the Domtar shutdown is prolonged, but Gardner requested that the discussion wait for another three months.

"We firmly believe that bulk is the future for the port," Gardner said, noting that there is an opportunity for the shipment of wood chips, with wood pellets, fertilizer and salt also being looked at. The port authority is working with the congressional delegation and the governor's office on funding for a conveyor system to handle bulk shipments. Gardner believes there is a good chance that the port could be shipping wood chips for Europe this year.

The port authority is also looking at getting a rail line closer to the port to handle bulk cargo shipments by using the Calais to Ayers Junction branch and adding a spur to Perry or possibly Eastport. Gardner will be checking to see if any federal economic stimulus funding for transportation projects can be acquired to help get the rail line closer to the port. He says it will be important to have an intermodal facility for transferring from rail to trucks as close as possible to the port terminal for bulk cargo shipments, in order to reduce costs.

Longshoremen's concerns

Doug DeWitt, president of the North East Longshoremen's Association (NELA), noted that the union's contract with Federal Marine Terminals (FMT) expires at the end of this year. If FMT pulls out and another terminal operator comes in after the contract has expired, longshoremen fear that the new operator might try to break the union and not use NELA. "We'd like a statement from the port authority that the North East Longshoremen's Association is the one they use for a labor force."

Gardner said that the port authority could stipulate that the terminal operator would have to negotiate with the association but couldn't force the operator to use the association, as the union would then be choosing the operator for the port. He added, "The port has opportunities in front of it, and this port is going to do fine."

Washington St. property

Finch presented a list of options for the use of the port authority's Washington St. property, ranging from the port authority maintaining the building and property and developing a visitors center, apartments or a parking area to transferring the building and property to the city.

The Washington St. property issue has been considered for some time, and the board finally voted to negotiate with the city on swapping the Washington St. property for the city-owned land on which the port authority office building and Coast Guard station sit. The port authority is currently paying property taxes on the Washington St. property, and Gardner said the port authority would be willing to add that assessment to its payment in lieu of taxes, so there would be no loss of tax revenue to the city.

In other business, Gardner reported that the University of Maine's composites program and the governor's office are interested in having a pilot project to repair the breakwater, using composite sheet piles. The board decided not to act on the construction of a maintenance barge at this time. The port authority's insurance company will be reviewing the sinking of the Burton G, since it was moored at the breakwater.