MILLINOCKET, Maine — Town leaders so far have had a favorable reaction to Cate Street Capital’s proposal to turn the Katahdin Avenue paper mill site into a nationally advertised industrial park.
“It is a positive thing,” Town Councilor Gilda Stratton said after the council’s meeting Thursday.
“It is all positive,” Councilor Jimmy Busque added. “We have always said that we needed to diversify the region’s economy and this will help us to do that.”
Councilor Michael Madore was more cautious.
“We want to see how everything plays out,” he said.
Leaders from the Portsmouth, N.H.-based company met in executive session with councilors for about an hour Wednesday and unveiled renderings of the first $35 million torrefied wood manufacturing machine they plan to build at their industrial park, the site of the Katahdin Avenue paper mill.
They also announced what they called “an aggressive, national marketing campaign to manufacturers in an attempt to bring new jobs and economic vitality to the Katahdin region” through the new park.
Company officials who are working with state officials to permit the torrefied wood machine said they expect to have it operational in the third quarter of 2013, almost a year behind their original schedule. They originally had wanted the plant operational in November, then pushed back the operating date to first-quarter 2013.
And company officials are pessimistic about their chances of restarting the paper mill itself anytime soon. They say the magazine-stock paper market that the No. 11 paper machine serves is still contracting, the overall paper market hasn’t revived enough, and that without a cheaper source of energy than the No. 2 heating oil the machine still burns — namely, a natural gas pipeline the LePage administration supports — starting the machine is unwise.
Stratton called that aspect of Wednesday’s announcement “a sad note.”
Busque called Cate Street’s delay in manufacturing torrefied wood “expected. We know how the permitting process works.”
Cate Street subsidiary Thermogen Industries LLC announced on Dec. 1 that for $20 million it had secured exclusive rights from Scotland-based Rotawave Biocoal to manufacture a type of machine — called the Targeted Intelligent Energy System, or TIES — that makes torrefied wood intended to replace coal burned at electricity plants.
Creating jobs for 22 to 25 workers directly and dozens of truckers, loggers and other support providers indirectly, the first $35 million TIES machine would supply United Kingdom utilities with biocoal, so named because it is made of wood but burns at a nearly 1-to-1 ratio with coal, company officials have said.
Other councilors have chosen to remain silent on Cate Street’s plans, saying they want time to mull them and that they respected the fact that Cate Street unveiled its plans behind closed doors.
Cate Street’s plan is a good one. Anyone that knows anything about the power industry knows that utilities are being forced to clean up their emmissions, especially on aging coal plants. They won’t be buying it by the pound, they’ll be buying it by the barge.
One problem – there’s no natural gas line to the proposed site, and I’m not so sure sure the taxpayers of Maine are ready to write Millinocket another check to buy one.
We just bought you a dump, and so far you haven’t even been willing to chip in your share of that purchase. How much more corporate welfare and actual welfare are we supposed to deliver?
We know you hate good news for the area but this and now a new store puts us on a path forward whether you like it or not.
Bangorian’s and Knightscross’ extreme hatred for the people of the Katahdin region is well known and their repeated diatribes to that end only serve to extend the local’s mistrust of people “from away”
No hatred at all. He is realistic. Can’t do much when everyone in Maine knows the Milli area is the DEAD ZONE.
You and Bangorian need to get together your both from some depressing black hole
Pat, find a job please!
I have been reading comments on this subject for a long time, its sure seems obvious that most that would like to have a National Park in the Millinocket area are the ones that are negative to the Katahdin people and anything going on there. this type of negativity will not and has not helped their cause.
They know that anything positive that happens in northern Maine will sound the death knell for Roxanne Quimby’s tribute to Herself.
Bangorian is mad because Quimby’s park that Bangorian and others want so badly is not going to happen anytime soon if at all. Anything that goes in up in Millinocket that is beneficial to them is opposed by Bangorian and other Leftists/Enviro freaks. The fact is Maine needs Natural Gas to rest of Maine (2nd District) if we are going to get our economy going here in the 2nd District we need to get Natural Gas, Cheaper Electricity from Canada and East-West Highways (1 if not 2 of them) built. Residents in the 2nd District are opposed to Quimby’s park and our views aren’t going to change something that the Extreme Left can’t handle. It is time to move foward in a new direction never mind what the Extreme Left wants.
You should try to stop looking for a magic bullet. Natural gas has been around in the Western US for years and guess what? There are many former factory towns there dying just like Millinocket. A modern, highly automated charcoal factory is not going to employ hundreds of workers the way the mill once did. Until Millinocket comes to terms with that, it is destined to remain what it is – unemployed, broke and looking for a magic bullet.
Quite a magic bullet you’ve been promoting.
Create 15 full time jobs in return for locking up and nationalizing 3.2 million plus private acres of sustainably producing forestland.
Go away and nationalize the Connecticut coastline.
Oh please you make me laugh. Hatred ? Your the joke. Just pay your taxes and shut up already.
The line goes to Lincoln first, then to Millinocket. It is not a straight line for Millinocket. Check your facts over first.
Just keep paying your taxes and like it
Ah Bangorian. Let’s face it-your not getting your park. Further more, The taxpayers don’t pay for the gas lines and it was stated that private investment was needed, ala “ratepayers”. It’s also well documented that the town put up their share of the landfill agreement. Give it up and go away.
LIKE
Bangorian, I would like to know if you have any ideas on how to improve the economy in the Millinocket area? They seem to be doing some good things and moving forward. Do you have some input on how to improve things or are your comments based solely upon the National Park not moving forward?
Those bath salts must be getting to ya down there in Bangor. When you going to realize the tax payers didn’t make the decision to buy the landfill, Mr. LePage did. You didn’t buy it for Millinocket, Mr. LePage bought it for the Katahdin Region to be “open for business.” Neither down was asked to “chip in” on the purchase of the landfill. There is no documented evidence of any money from either community to pay for the landfill except for operational cost for the first year of $50,000 from each town. Each town has made the offer to fulfill what they agreed to and Mr. LePage has stated it was a different agreement that he cant prove with documents.
Check your numbers, the average income per capita income for Millinocket is $21,330 and Bangor is $28,595 according to http://www.americantowns.com. You also have 62.4% of the population in the work force, so you really aren’t that much better than any other town! Your new claim to fame is the Bath Salts capital of the state, congrats!!!
Sure it will help, Dream ON ?
Convert the old paper machine boiler into a bio mass (wood chip) burning boiler, install a steam generator and there you have it green energy. Now thats what i call smart money! This is what there doing right now at the old Berlin NH paper mill.
Something needs to happen; we went to Millinocket last night to spend money and support our fellow Mainers’… ghost town is all we found; you city fathers should hang your heads in shame…
Unhappy, I think you will find that the towns biggest employer has shut down (the mill), What did you expect to find? Any suggestions on whats needs to happen would be helpful to the city fathers I am sure.
The city fathers have all the answers…just ask them
mlkmaine, thank you for your suggestion. When in town I have discussed some things with them, I was surprised at some of the things they are looking into, more going on there then we know its just going to take a little time.
Want to bet knightcross and bangorian don’t work and live on some kind of goverment check?