Robbinston may soon eye vote on LNG

Robbinston property owners will have several liquefied natural gas (LNG) meetings on their calendar in the coming weeks. Richard Hoffman, director of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) Division of Gas, Environment and Engineering, at the invitation of Robbinston First Selectman Tom Moholland, will be the speaker at an informational meeting at the Robbinston Grade School at 6 p.m. on Thursday, September 29. Hoffman will discuss FERC's procedures for processing LNG applications.

Other informational meetings planned in October include one with a member of Governor John Baldacci's energy office, and two or three planned by Dean Girdis, president of Downeast LNG, the company that proposes to build a receiving terminal and storage facilities at Mill Cove in Robbinston.

Moholland says plans are under way to hold a vote, probably in November, to get a sense of how Robbinston residents and property owners feel about the proposed Downeast LNG project.

Request to slow things down
Sometime in October, Uldis Vnags, policy analyst of the Maine Office of Energy Independence and Security, will hold a public information meeting in the vicinity of the three proposed LNG projects in Washington County. This was the message that Lea and Joseph Sullivan of Robbinston received on September 17 in response to their letter of August 10 to Governor Baldacci.

The Sullivans, in their August letter, asked the governor "to slow down the forward motion of the proposed Downeast LNG gasification plant and storage facilities and Quoddy Bay LNG storage facilities in Robbinston, to give concerned townspeople time to accurately prepare buy-out options and compensation packages for their business or property that will be affected." The Sullivans pointed out that an impartial impact study is needed in order for townspeople to have a clear understanding of what realistic amount of money the town needs to ask for from these two companies to be able to cover all the expenses that a change of this magnitude will cause in this community. In addition to the two facilities proposed for Robbinston, a third proposed LNG facility was recently announced for the Devil's Head area of Calais.

The Sullivans in their letter stated, "We are not necessarily against LNG as a source of energy. What we are against is being treated like so much expendable collateral to be railroaded into a major life-changing decision without any chance to take the time to make educated choices for ourselves." According to the Sullivans, it appears the Robbinston selectmen and key supporters have been working with Downeast LNG for at least two years without the knowledge of most of the citizens of the town. "They have had a head start and have convinced many of the townspeople about all of the pros of the facility being here. The selectmen have told Downeast LNG that they will have a decision in October or November of this year. The rest of the town just learned of this about Downeast LNG on July 15, 2005, and then Quoddy Bay LNG plans just a few days later. The companies are asking the shell-shocked townspeople to come up with compensation packages and money to cover anticipated changes without the benefit of time and impartial input."

Vnags, in his letter to the Sullivans, said that new rules by FERC may help in assuring that adequate information is acquired by any potential developer of an LNG terminal and made public prior to submitting an application to FERC. Specifically, the passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 requires FERC to implement regulations for a pre-filing review process for proposed LNG terminals. "It is our expectation that any proposed LNG project in Maine will undergo this pre-filing review process, and issues such as yours are adequately addressed by the developer."

According to Vnags, the purpose of the state's planned October meeting is to explain the State of Maine regulatory process and review of any proposed project and to listen to the comments and concerns from members of the public. "I plan to have state regulatory officials, a representative from the Coast Guard and, if possible, someone from FERC for this public informational meeting." Vnags says he has been assigned the job of coordinating LNG proposals in Maine. "We don't favor one project over the other," comments Vnags.

At this time, Vnags says there is not a great abundance of information about the proposed projects. "That causes difficulty for the state, if they don't have a clearly identified plan. We just have an outline of the proposed projects." Vnags also sees the need to address issues brought up by the public.

Committee grapples with impacts
Lea Sullivan is one of several Robbinston residents who is serving on a local citizens' committee that is studying the impact the proposed LNG facilities would have on Robbinston property owners. Robbinston does not have any zoning regulations. The group, formed at the suggestion of Selectman Moholland, has been actively gathering information.

Moholland says about 90 Robbinston residents and property owners answered the call to serve on the advisory committee. The group was then divided into committees to obtain information on the impact of such a project on the community. Each group has a chairman and each chairman will join the selectmen in reviewing the results of the studies. Moholland describes the turnout for the committee as a real commitment by town residents. "It shows how much the people are willing to give back to the community."

Sullivan says one study of particular interest to the committee is the information gathered for the southern Maine community of Harpswell. The impact study done by Yellow Wood Inc. for Harpswell indicates from research and interviews with local realtors and appraisers that parcels within a two-mile radius of the property site and dock will see decreases in value as a result of the LNG terminal. Values will decrease more the closer a property is to the site. The report also dealt with costs to the community and other issues. The potentially significant impact on property taxes will have not only fiscal but economic impacts on households since, for many families, the value of their home represents their single largest financial asset. One of the unique conditions outlined in the report is that very few communities in the U.S. have experienced the same combination of high property values based predominantly on shoreline and industrial disamenities accompanied by significant real and perceived dangers to life and property. Harpswell voters eventually rejected the proposed LNG facility.

Sullivan says Moholland has assured her that the town will have the opportunity to vote on the issue. She says there is not a lot of talking going on among townspeople. "I really sense a feeling of fear of speaking out."

Moholland says he and the other selectmen have not been working with Downeast LNG over the past two years. Over the last 10 years, as many as 10 to 15 individuals have come by and talked to him about projects but most have never been heard from since the first inquiry. "I take it seriously and let people know when land is under option or under contract. When Downeast LNG got their option, they went public about two weeks later, and we held an informational meeting for Robbinston residents and property owners.

Dean Girdis, president of Downeast LNG, says he plans to have community meetings commencing in October to discuss various issues and concerns of Robbinston residents. Downeast LNG facilities would be located on an 80-acre site on the south side of Mill Cove, which the company has optioned for a three-year period from Thomas McGlaughlin. Girdis still hopes to schedule a meeting in St. Andrews to discuss project plans with Canadian officials. Many St. Andrews residents believe the proposed storage tank sites at Mill Cove could have a dramatic effect on St. Andrews, directly across the bay.