The Saint Croix Courier

St. Stephen, NB

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2007 Jul 17

St. Andrews pleads for help in LNG fight

Anti-LNG group needs $82,000

By BARB RAYNER

ST. ANDREWS — Save Passamaquoddy Bay/Canada needs to raise about $82,000 to support their fight against American liquefied natural gas developments and the St. Andrews town council is asking other communities to help with the bills.

At the July town council meeting councilors agreed to grant matching funds with other donations up to a maximum of $15,000 from their 2007 budget. But Mayor John Craig called on other communities to also lend their financial support to the cause.

"Make no mistake — we are going to win the fight. There will be no LNG in Passamaquoddy Bay," Craig said. "The town of St. Andrews seems to be taking the financial burden so far in the efforts to make sure this does not happen... but I'm putting a challenge out tonight to all the communities, all the municipalities — everybody around."

Craig has argued that St. Andrews stands to lose if American developers build LNG import terminals and storage tanks on the Maine shore but that other communities will also be affected.

"This affects not just St. Andrews. It affects everybody on the Passamaquoddy Bay. Everybody in Charlotte County, it affects," he said. "I'm putting a challenge out to every municipality, every town, every village, every LSD area to help with this effort."

Craig said if municipalities unite, the odds of defeating the developments increase.

"St. Andrews is the only one that has come to the forefront and put money towards it. We need everybody's help," Craig said. "We know that everybody's against it but now we want you to help with the financial part of it. Make no mistake... it won't happen but we all have to work together and make sure it doesn't."