ROBBINSTON – Landowners were notified last week that the Washington, D.C.-based Downeast LNG has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to begin the environmental review process for the company’s proposed $400 million liquefied natural gas terminal near Route 1.

On Jan. 25, FERC granted Downeast LNG’s request and assigned it docket number PF06-13-000. The National Environmental Policy Act review process is just one of many steps the company must take to site a LNG terminal in Washington County.

“This notice is being sent to potentially affected landowners, federal, state and local government representatives and agencies, environmental and public interest groups; Native American tribes, other interested parties in this proceeding and local libraries and newspapers. We encourage government representatives to notify their constituents of this planned project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern,” the notice said.

The commission’s staff had initiated the NEPA review process before receiving a formal application from the company.

“The purpose of the commission’s pre-filing request is to involve interested stakeholders early in project planning in order to identify and resolve issues before an application is filed with the commission,” the company said in its notice.

As part of the NEPA process, the company will continue to conduct meetings. In addition, FERC officials will conduct interagency meetings and attend open houses to identify specific agency and stakeholder concerns. The company plans two such meetings tonight in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, and Thursday in Robbinston.

The company said it anticipates that most environmental issues and concerns will be identified and addressed before the company files an application for the project with FERC in September.

The project site is located along Route 1 at Mill Cove. Downeast LNG holds an option on 80 acres.

The company plans to use upward of 46 acres to build a terminal, administrative building, access road and parking areas. “Total land work will be dependent upon final design configuration pursuant to state and federal regulatory reviews,” the company said in its project information fact sheet.

The terminal will consist of:

. A marine facility, pier, mooring dolphins and LNG unloading equipment.

. Interconnection facilities including piping, electrical and control systems.

. One LNG storage tank and layout provision for a second LNG storage tank for potential future expansion.

. A vapor handling, regasification and natural gas send-out system.

. Utilities, telecommunications and other supporting systems.

. Administrative, control room, warehouse, security and other buildings and enclosures.

During initial operations an LNG ship is expected to arrive every five to seven days in the winter and once every eight to 10 days in the summer. The terminal will include a pier with one berth for LNG carriers to moor and offload cargo. The arrival, mooring, unloading and departure sequence is expected to take about 24 hours.

The company also has three possibilities for getting the gas to the Maritimes and Northeast pipeline in Baileyville. All three choices involve routing the pipeline near the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge.

Two other LNG projects are also in the works. The Oklahoma-based Quoddy Bay LNG, which hopes to build a facility at Pleasant Point and Perry and the Indian Township-based Calais LNG, which hopes to build a terminal in the Red Beach area of Calais.

Additional information about the Downeast LNG project is available from the commission’s office at (866) 208 FERC or on the commission’s Web site at www.ferc.gov. Using the “e-library” link select general search and enter Downeast LNG in the “text search” field.

The commission also offers a free e-subscription service to maximize the search process. To register go to www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.