Tensions high in wake of LNG vote

PLEASANT POINT – The Passamaquoddy have made history, tribal officials said Wednesday.

They are the first community in the state and possibly New England to approve construction of a $300 million liquefied natural gas terminal on Indian land.

Tuesday was a nail biter for proponents and opponents alike as tribal members made their way to the polls at the tribal offices on Route 190 to vote.

Tensions were running high. For the first time in years, the Passamaquoddy leadership barred the media from the parking lot at the tribal office on election day.

In the end, 325 Passamaquoddy cast their ballots and when they were done, the measure was approved 193 to 132.

“The results tell us,” tribal state Rep. Fred Moore said after the election. “This is not about LNG; it’s about the future of the tribe. Were the vote reversed, it would have been about LNG.” It was Moore who introduced the Tulsa, Okla., group to tribal leaders.

In June, tribal leaders announced they had entered into an exclusivity agreement with Quoddy Bay LLC, an energy development partnership, to build a facility on 42 acres of tribal land.

The U.S. Department of Energy has cited recent increases in domestic U.S. natural gas prices and improvements in technologies as reasons for LNG projects that have been proposed nationwide.

In Maine, Gov. John Baldacci has encouraged communities to consider hosting a terminal, including possible use of the state-owned Sears Island in Penobscot Bay.

But worries about environmental and safety issues, particularly in light of terrorism fears, have spurred strong opposition in Maine coastal communities, particularly Harpswell and Searsport. Opponents on the reservation have voiced similar concerns and have criticized Baldacci for his stand.

On Wednesday, Baldacci spokesman Lee Umphrey said the governor saw the vote as a step in the process. “He wanted community support before LNG moved ahead anyplace. Now he is confident with community support that the company will move forward in the permitting process and an inclusive information process will continue.”

Passage of the proposal did not come without heartache for some.

In Perry, protesters from as far away as Quebec, Canada, and as close as Eastport on Tuesday stood in front of the municipal building waving signs. Some had painted their face with “No LNG.” Others held signs that said they did not want to die, referring to explosions that have occurred at LNG facilities.

Project opponents vow they will continue to fight.

It was quiet in front of the tribal office where the vote was held, but when the polls closed, that changed. Car after car zoomed into the parking lot at the tribal office. People were anxious to learn the outcome.

After the results were announced, one woman left the tribal offices and said she was going home to cry.

“This is a sad day in the history of our people,” tribal member Margaret “Dolly” Apt said after the vote.

Former Indian Township tribal Councilor Dwayne Sockabasin said he was disappointed with the vote. “We’ve been sold out,” he said. “And it’s a sad day for the Passamaquoddy.”

Sockabasin said he hoped environmental agencies would take a hard look at the project. “Hopefully, the people who are going to make the decision on the environmental aspect of it make a decision that this isn’t what Maine wants,” Sockabasin said.

While opponents quietly left the tribal offices, proponents tooted their horns like a wedding procession.

The next step, Moore said Wednesday, was for the tribe to enter into a contract with the company. “Immediately after that, a site evaluation by engineers, and after that, the application process is initiated from there to [environmental] regulatory bodies,” he said.

Asked when a contract would be signed, Moore said when the tribe was satisfied with the terms of the agreement.

If the plan moves forward, the gas would be piped along the former railroad right-of-way from Pleasant Point north to Baileyville. However, the pipeline would go through the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, raising the issue of whether the federal government would allow that route.

Eventually the LNG pipeline would connect with the Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline that carries natural gas from Sable Island off Nova Scotia through Maine and on to markets in the northeastern United States.

LNG is natural gas that has been cooled to minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit for shipment or storage. Since 2001, numerous energy companies have announced plans to build more than a dozen LNG import facilities in the United States.