Sides air positions at LNG hearing

PERRY – A decision that could forever change the landscape of eastern Washington County is scheduled in less than two weeks, but in the meantime proponents and opponents have unleashed a cascade of information to try to get voters to side with them.

On Monday, March 28, voters will be asked whether they want to allow the Passamaquoddy Tribe and the Oklahoma City-based Quoddy Bay LLC to built a $400 million liquefied natural gas terminal on reservation land.

A public hearing was held Wednesday night at the Perry Elementary School, and for the first time the two sides were able to present their information in the same arena.

Quoddy Bay developer Don Smith spoke at length about the economic opportunities that will make a difference Down East.

Smith said Quoddy Bay will spend $5 million for engineering, environmental and safety studies. He also said the project would have to go through numerous state and federal permitting processes before the first nail was pounded.

“In summary, the reason to vote in favor of this LNG terminal is to have the hope of bringing economic security, economic prosperity and tax reductions to Perry. A vote against the terminal is a vote for continuous stagnation and continued loss of your children and grandchildren to other regions of the United States,” he said.

But opponents of the project said that a vote against the project would ensure that the Down East area would retain its natural beauty. Opponent Bill Love talked about the impact the project would have on this community of about 800 people including a need for increased police and fire protection. He also questioned what impact the project would have on property values.

Opponents have long suggested that an LNG terminal was not needed because things were happening in Washington County including a renewed emphasis on tourism and sustainable development.

Smith’s son Brian Smith raised the ire of at least one individual at the meeting. Penny Guisinger, whose parents, Gary and Jeanne Guisinger, have been vocal in their opposition to the project, took issue with what she termed Smith’s characterization of the area as a “welfare” community. Smith denied he had used the word.

During his discussion about the economic benefits of the project, Brian Smith said in his opening remarks that the area faced economic difficulties. “It is hard to maintain independence if many around you cannot fully support themselves because there aren’t enough high-paying jobs, and therefore partly require help from the state [or] federal government. It’s hard to maintain independence when your economy is poor and you rely on state and federal funding for many of the government services provided to the area,” he said.

Although the terminal is supposed to be built on tribal land in Gleason’s Cove at Pleasant Point, Perry voters have a say over the future of LNG because in March 1986, the tribe gave the town power over its land. At that time, Perry voters approved Article 40 to allow the Passamaquoddy to annex 390 acres on Route 190. It is on that land the LNG terminal would be built. The deal included one major provision: that the town would have veto power over any future commercial development. The 42 acres in question at Gleason’s Cove are part of that parcel.

Earlier this year, opponents pushed to have a town vote on the project.

Last year, Passamaquoddy tribal members voted to pursue building a facility on Indian land. If the project goes through, this will be the first LNG terminal on reservation land.

The tribe, along with Quoddy Bay, has initiated a full-court press in the past few weeks to encourage voters to look at both sides of the issue. They have even offered Perry an annual payment of $340,000 to offset the town’s yearly budget. The amount is half of the town’s annual operating budget.