Quoddy Bay LNG to hold second meeting -- The Quoddy Tides, Eastport, Maine

A public informational meeting concerning Quoddy Bay LNG and Quoddy Bay pipeline will be held Sunday, June 10, at 5 p.m. at the Perry Elementary School. The meeting is regarding state permit applications and the requirement that the applicant inform the public of the project, its anticipated environmental impacts, and the state, local and federal licenses necessary. The meeting also aims to provide adequate opportunity for public questions.

While there will be future public meetings related to this project, the June 10 meeting will be the final public meeting prior to the filing of Quoddy Bay's state environmental applications. These applications are expected to be filed on or about June 11.

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. A small ad was placed in the daily newspaper but not in any newspapers in the immediate area of the proposed LNG project. Information concerning the May 23 meeting was mostly by word of mouth. A survey of landowners that would have the pipeline on their property also showed that notice was not sent to property owners who would be impacted by the pipeline construction. According to DEP rules, the processing of applications requires permit applicants to provide adequate public notice of their intent to submit an application to the DEP. The Sunday, June 10, meeting is to satisfy the notice requirements.

However, Linda Godfrey, coordinator of Save Passamaquoddy Bay, comments, "Save Passamaquoddy Bay objects to a Sunday meeting during graduation and family celebrations and one day before they file their application on June 11. Obviously they have no desire to hear from the public."

The proposed import terminal site is to be located at Split Rock at Pleasant Point. The LNG storage and regassification facility will 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 the Princeton.