Safety concerns raised by Canadian officials about a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal on Passamaquoddy Bay may or may not have merit. However, growing criticism of the potential terminal’s location highlights the need for a more thorough analysis of the best place to locate such a facility should one be built in Maine. That review needs to be done quickly. With facilities planned in states and provinces all around us, if Maine does not quickly decide whether it wants to take an active role in the growing LNG industry, the question will be answered in the negative by the state’s inaction.

Earlier this year, the Passamaquoddy Tribe announced that it had partnered with an Oklahoma company to build an LNG terminal on tribal land at Pleasant Point. The project was approved by tribal members this summer by a vote of 193-132.

Since then, coastal communities in both Maine and New Brunswick have objected to the planned $300 million facility. The town council of St. Andrews, a Canadian town across the bay, approved a resolution opposing the project in October. The council did not oppose a proposed LNG terminal south of Saint John, New Brunswick, because ships going there would not pass by the town.

This week, the Canadian environmental minister expressed concern about the project. Stephane Dion told the Saint John Telegraph Journal that his country’s opposition to the shipping of dangerous pollutants through the ecologically sensitive area dated back to 1976. It was then that the Canadian Department of External Affairs released a report about a proposed oil refinery in Eastport.

The study concluded “the Passamaquoddy area in which [Head Harbor] passage is sited is the least acceptable area for tanker operations because of the value of fisheries and aquatic bird resources and the high level of navigational risk. Other factors including the risk of pollution, tidal currents, no safe anchorages and potential danger from winds all would pose a serious threat to the ecology of the region if an accident should occur.” In 1982, the Canadian government limited the size of ships that could enter Canadian waters, helping to scuttle the refinery plan.

If navigational concerns are valid – some maritime experts say they are overblown – the state should step in to find a better location for the LNG facility. Perhaps there is a more accessible port in Washington County.

While many area residents have vociferously complained about the Passamaquoddy proposal, LNG facilities are planned in Canada on the same water bodies. An accident involving a tanker headed to Saint John, New Brunswick, could cause just as much damage as one headed to Pleasant Point. However, Washington County residents have virtually no voice in the proposed Maritime projects. If a facility is built in Maine, they could work to ensure that it is in the best location and as safe as possible.

With a dozen LNG projects in the works to our north and south, Maine must quickly decide if it is serious about pursuing a natural gas facility. If it is, it must expediently decide on the best location. Doing so should ease some of the anxiety now being expressed.