Quoddy Bay LNG shares views on project's impacts on area -- The Quoddy Tides, Eastport, Maine

A second public informational meeting concerning the proposed Quoddy Bay LNG terminal and the Quoddy Bay pipeline was held June 10 at the Perry Elementary School. The meeting concerned state permit applications and the requirement that the applicant inform the public of its project, its anticipated environmental impacts and the state, local and federal licenses necessary. The meeting was advertised as a meeting to "further inform the public of the project and its anticipated environmental impacts."

An earlier public meeting was held on May 23 in Perry, but letters of complaint were sent to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) stating that Quoddy Bay LNG's notice of the meeting was inadequate. According to the DEP rules, permit applicants must provide adequate public notice of their intent to submit an application to the DEP. The June 10 meeting was to fully satisfy the notice requirements. The filing of Quoddy Bay LNG's state environmental applications occurred the following day. The DEP has 15 days to review the application in terms of completeness.

The June 10 meeting was conducted by Quoddy Bay LNG's Deputy Project Manager Adam Wilson and David Jenkins of TRC Solutions, an engineering consulting firm. The proposed import terminal site is to be located at Split Rock at Pleasant Point. The LNG storage and regassification facility would be located in Perry. A 35.8 mile-long, 36-inch diameter natural gas sendout pipeline is to be constructed on property in the towns of Alexander, Charlotte, Cooper, Pembroke and Princeton to deliver natural gas from the LNG import terminal and storage facility to the existing Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline in Princeton. The import and support facility would have a 1,300-foot pier, two berths, unloading arms, nitrogen production process platform, nine vaporizers and an impoundment basin.

According to Quoddy Bay LNG, the import facility would result in temporary and limited permanent impacts to intertidal benthic resources of Western Passage. The LNG transfer system would result in temporary impacts to benthos and water quality in Half Moon Cove. Five pipes would be buried under Half Moon Cove. Excess sediment, resulting from the burying of the pipes in Half Moon Cove, would be used in berms around the tanks.

During a discussion of wetlands, Jenkins said the project design would minimize permanent impacts to wetlands. About 30 percent of Maine is covered by wetlands. Less than 5% (15 acres) of land permanently affected by the project (315 acres) would be wetlands. In the storage tank areas, about 10 acres of wetlands would be affected. It was noted that it takes some time to return wetlands to their original state.

Discussing air emissions, Wilson said the project would meet all applicable ambient air quality standards, and the project would be a minor source of air emissions. A new technology to be used by Quoddy Bay LNG would significantly reduce air emissions by 75%.

In response to a noise control question, Jenkins said the project would comply with both federal and Maine Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) requirements.

The visibility of storage tanks, which was discussed at the previous meeting, was brought up again. Jenkins said, "There is so much you can do with big tanks." A model of the projected tanks will be available on the Quoddy Bay LNG application that will appear shortly on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) website.

As to water supply, it was stated that limited groundwater at the LNG terminal would require bottled potable water to be supplied. According to the report, "Relatively clean water is created from the regassification process and will be used for operational process water." Water from Western Passage and other surface water sources would be used for hydrostatic testing of the LNG tanks and sendout pipeline. Water would be returned to the original sources in compliance with federal and state requirements.

As to the Quoddy Bay LNG project overview, it was stated that the expected start-up date is early 2010.