Gas Harbor

Residents of Searsport are conflicted. Some believe that a terminal for ships carrying liquefied natural gas would ruin their community and keep much-needed tourists away. Others believe the area desperately needs jobs and that any type of economic development would be helpful. Some individuals harbor both these sentiments and wonder where the balance should be.

With the recent defeat by local voters of a plan to put a LNG terminal in Harpswell, the Baldacci administration is now looking up the coast for other potential locations. After the animosity of the Harpswell experience, the administration has learned to take a more cautious approach. “While I continue to support the potential of LNG facilities to bring good-paying jobs and clean energy to Maine, I have been reminded of the need to use economic development as a tool to bring communities together, rather than to allow it to create divisions between neighbors,” the governor said shortly after Harpswell residents voted 55 percent to 45 percent to defeat a proposed $350 million lease on 70 acres of town-owned land.

To this end, the governor asked interested communities, especially those in Washington County, to come forward and seek assistance from the Department of Economic and Community Development. There should be takers, at least in this early phase of seeking information and answers to questions, especially about the safety of ships carrying the super-cooled gas that have been identified as potential terrorist targets.

Gov. Baldacci is right that a gas terminal could bring needed jobs and property tax revenue to a welcoming community. It could also bring a cleaner fuel to Maine, perhaps lowering energy costs for businesses and families in the region. He is also right that community sentiment, along with expert information from the transportation, marine resources and environmental protection departments, must play a prominent role in any future terminal plans.

With that in mind, one possibility that balances the often-conflicting goals of economic development and environmental preservation is Sears Island, the 940-acre state-owned island. When the Department of Transportation acquired the land in 1997 it was to preserve it for economic activities. The island is big enough for a gas port and an environmental sanctuary and it is adjacent to the Mack Point marine facility so new shipping lanes would not have to be developed.

Another may be Eastport, which has fewer resources in place but would feel the economic boost far more. The DOT should fully investigate the costs of bringing LNG Down East and look broadly at the economic advantages (and offsetting savings) to adding development there.

The governor has said that a community that does not want such a terminal will not have to accept one. He is likely to find greater support the farther east he goes, but such a major project should be made to yield maximum economic advantage to the state, even if that means Maine must invest some before it sees returns .

The Harpswell defeat gives the state an opportunity to build a stronger case for an LNG terminal along the coast and to ensure that any such facility is sited in the best possible location.