Following wednesday's storm-blocked event, The public hearing on the DCP Midstream gigtank plan for upper Penobscot Bay went forward on Thursday.
The People spoke. The People presented. The Planning Board questioned and discussed. The New York Times was in attendance tonight, complete with photographer The two were given much juicy background info, internet links and, naming names. Bangor Daily News put a story out about the hearing.
One important event was Searsport resident Dave Italiaander's presentation click here (pdf) showing that the company must be misrepresenting itself to the people of Maine, because DCP exports LPG gas. It doesn't import it. According to Italiaander:
"LPG imports are virtually non-existent, except from Canada. There are no water borne imports.
"DCP told their investors that they are going to increase their LPG exports by 200 to 250 thousand barrels a day" Italiaander told the board.
"That is almost 8 million tons of additional exports a year, or 175 large, ocean--going LPG Tankers. Their proposed Searsport mega-tank would hold around 43,000 Metric tons; a large LPG tanker holds around 45,000MT. DCP needs 5 new terminals the size of this one just to handle their new exports"
Army Corps of Engineers washes hands of responsibility Italiaander said he spoke to the Army Corps of Engineers and to town officials about the project.
"Once this terminal is built" he told the board, "the Corps would have no jurisdiction nor review if the applicant wanted to export rather than import.
"Neither would the Town of Searsport. It seems that it would require no more than a notification to the DEP and Coast Guard."
"I hope that it is now clear," Italiaander told the Searsport Planning Board, "that it is a virtual impossibility that this is an import terminal and a virtual certainty that it is an export terminal."
This company exports propane, it does not import it."
UPDATES AS REPORTS COME IN
The People spoke. The People presented. The Planning Board questioned and discussed. The New York Times was in attendance tonight, complete with photographer The two were given much juicy background info, internet links and, naming names. Bangor Daily News put a story out about the hearing.
Residents of Cape Jellison/Stockton Springs gave presentations, as did realtors about declining sales and home values, Senior Citizens and their concerns, Friends of Sears Island and a loooooong discourse between Buddy Hall's appraiser and DCP's lawyers (Hall is owner of restaurant and motel abutting DCP's proposed tank site)
"LPG imports are virtually non-existent, except from Canada. There are no water borne imports.
"LPG and Propane prices
are falling.
"Propane prices are near a 10 year low.
"That is almost 8 million tons of additional exports a year, or 175 large, ocean--going LPG Tankers. Their proposed Searsport mega-tank would hold around 43,000 Metric tons; a large LPG tanker holds around 45,000MT. DCP needs 5 new terminals the size of this one just to handle their new exports"
"Once this terminal is built" he told the board, "the Corps would have no jurisdiction nor review if the applicant wanted to export rather than import.
"Neither would the Town of Searsport. It seems that it would require no more than a notification to the DEP and Coast Guard."
"I hope that it is now clear," Italiaander told the Searsport Planning Board, "that it is a virtual impossibility that this is an import terminal and a virtual certainty that it is an export terminal."
This company exports propane, it does not import it."
UPDATES AS REPORTS COME IN
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