Personally speaking as a Searsport resident, I think some here still think the earth is flat and ends at the Searsport town line. In their myopic view, it is better to encourage industrial development than to protect their neighbors’ safety or the existing tourism, fishing and real estate industries on which our economy depends.
Before 1492 sailors “knew” the earth was flat. So, too, does Searsport Planning Board in deciding DCP Midstream’s application for the largest liquid propane storage tank on the Eastern seaboard, one ignores that the proposed development will affect every community in and around Penobscot Bay.
DCP Midstream’s application shows no power backup for the cooling system. The only “backup” is to release the propane gas, hoping that no spark or smoker is in the area. Did they forget the 1998 ice storm that left Searsport without power for days? The awful terrorist events of 9/11 seemed unthinkable, but they occurred. It seems unthinkable that Americans could sympathize with al-Qaida, or vengeful people could cause a catastrophe, but public attacks have occurred in Aurora, Colo., Oklahoma City and elsewhere.
A lunatic flying a plane from Belfast Airport or a driver tossing a Molotov cocktail would have an easy target with the continually illuminated stacks as guides and a mile-long, above-ground pipeline of LPG to target. In fact all that is needed is to disable the power to the facility for a disaster to occur, because of DCP’s failure to provide backup power to the tank.
At an SPB meeting it was announced that Good Harbor, an independent security consulting firm headed up by Richard Clarke, would evaluate critical safety questions in an unbiased manner. A planning board member was recorded saying he already had all the information he needed and did not see the need for a briefing on what Good Harbor concludes. In fact, the planning board has said no safety review is required as part of their review of DCP’s application — despite clear requirements in Searsport’s ordinances that the planning board determine the health and safety effects of any proposed development.
A geologist from the University of Maine informed the planning board that no information about the extent of the fault at Sears Island (that prevented CMP from putting a nuclear power plant there in the 1970s), nor of other faults under Mack Point has been studied. The planning board has taken no action to determine whether faults exist under the proposed tank site.
The planning board was informed by Dr. David Goldschmitt, a Searsport homeowner, former director of emergency operations at Ground Zero and nationally certified Homeland Security expert, that he believed there was sufficient potential danger from this project to make it unsafe.
Dr. Goldschmitt determined if one of the storage tanks already at Mack Point caught on fire, a chain of events would ensue resulting in an explosion.
Unthinkable? No. Such a fire occurred at Mack Point on June 7, 2011, in an empty storage tank, requiring five hours for 70 firefighters from seven towns to extinguish it.
Even our Searsport Fire Chief said that all we could do was to let it burn itself out if the propane from the proposed tank caught on fire. But what about the explosions in adjacent tanks that would result? Just such a disaster occurred this month in Venezuela where a propane leak caused 3 adjacent fuel tanks to ignite, killing dozens, injuring hundreds and destroying thousands of nearby homes and businesses.
Is it time to return to 1491 and pretend the world stops at the Searsport town line — ignoring the effects of the proposed DCP tank on this region and ignoring the unthinkable we have witnessed over the past 11 years, or to dismiss information that could save your fellow citizens’ lives, all for twelve specialized jobs or to face reality? Is it appropriate only to consider statements from DCP Midstream with its vested interests? They, at least, will be in their comfy homes in Oklahoma or Colorado while you and I are incinerated.
Maybe the unlikely will not occur, but I sure won’t bet my neighbor’s life on it.
David Berg is a former New York City elementary school principal, past president of the New York State Reading Association, former assistant director of the New York City Board of Education Office of Student Health and Screening Services who to Searsport after spending summers in Maine since the age of seven.
Myth taught in school that people believed the world was fat.
The world is indeed quite fat.
Waistline is 25,000 miles. And I thought mine was bad.
It may have escaped this retiree that Maine is in dire need of economic activity and the jobs it brings. There is a process that will determine if the LP tank can safely be placed in Searsport or not. Fear mongering about crazed pilots is irresponsible. If that were the criterion very little would get built in our nation. The flat earth analogy is equally inappropriate since whatever the outcome here, it will ultimately involve a judgment call based on the best available information and a democratic process, not on willful ignorance of the facts.
“the Earth is flat and ends at the Searsport town line” cuts both ways.
People in Searsport, as well as people in the rest of Maine, and indeed, even in the USA, use energy. No matter how environmentally conscious we are, or wish to be, we use it. That is an undeniable consequence of the laws of thermodyamics.
The “-port” in Searsport, means “seaport”. The quaint historic port village is that way because of its history as a port. It is still a port, and potentially a bigger port than we see today. A potential port is a relatively scarce resource.
I agree with the writer that development should be responsible. I disagree, however, with the condescending approach that the writer takes. I also smell the rat of “NIMBY”, disguised as “concern for the neighboring communities.”
This facility is a threat to all of Searsport’s neighbors. The benefits even for Searsport are hard to discern — it will bring up to 12 permanent jobs according to DCP, but how many jobs in existing businesses and industries will be lost? Under DCP’s own expert report it MAY bring in up to $400,000 in taxes annually, but Searsport will LOSE $354,000 in education subsidies – according to DCP. If a TIF tax district is created for Mack Point to avoid the loss of education subsidies, the DCP taxes could only be used for Mack Point and other Mack Point taxes now collected would be lost for general use — INCREASING the tax burden on the remaining taxpayers (Sprague Energy and Irving taxes would go to the TIF district not Searsport generally. And how much extra will thepolice and fire services for this unprecedented, dangerous facility cost Searsport, Waldo County and the region? Since only 6% of Maine uses Propane for heating and only 115 million gallons of Propane were needed to supply ALL of Maine last year — why do we need a facility that intends to bring in over 150 million gallons a year of propane? The math just doesn’t add up. We have the cheapest propane in New England NOW, and an ample supply of propane from sources IN THE UNITED STATES. The US is a major and growing EXPORTER of LPG — so why does Searsport want to bring dangerous tankers into narrow Penobscot Bay from FOREIGN countries — aren’t we supposed to be working to be LESS dependent on foreign sources of fossil fuels?! Why is Searsport hellbent on making more Mainers DEPENDENT on FOREIGN LPG?! It isn’t NIMBY — neighboring towns never compained about the oil and gasoline tanks at Mack Point — it is LPG in the largest cryogenic tank on the East Coast of the US that has Searsport’s neighbor’s concerned for their safety. This is not a Searsport facility. The tank traffic will adversely impact every town in and around Penobscot Bay. so EVERY town in Penobsoct Bay has a right to object to this decision and the costs it brings.
MOON BAT ALERT…It should move back to New York…
As of yet no one has been able to specify how this LPG facility is going to benefit anyone local to the Searsport region, or even how it’s going to benefit Maine. Other than the occasional ubiquitous “Because it’s jobs, so we have to take it or we’re all going to die in the woods.” No one has been able to say “it’s going to help Maine because…” ANY development, is not necessarily GOOD development for the local and state economies.
Personally I’d much rather see a Wal-Mart or a Target go in there. But then again, that would only draw thousands of shoppers from the surrounding area and employ hundreds of people.
I suppose importing the most expensive heating fuel on the planet is a good economy booster too. For the company importing it anyway. And before someone chimes in with “LPG will be cheaper in Maine once the facility is running” if you believe that, I’ve got a bridge to sell you.
A tried but true tenant of supply and demand, if people will pay $X.XX, the price only goes up from there. And if supply is down, the price goes up; supply is up, the price goes up; demand is down, the price goes up; demand is up, the price goes up.
I’m not sure where you learned your macroeconomics.
LP is used in many places where natural gas is unavailable, for cooking, heating and industrial processes. It is much cleaner than kerosene. LP furnaces need almost no maintenance and no ground pollution results from leaking tanks. LP pricing is ultimately largely determined by oil and natural gas prices in general.
Only 6% of Maine residents use propane for heat — it is an expensive an inefficient heating fuel compared to alternatives (even oil). However, Maine has the lowest cost for propane in New England now and the price is going down because of the glut of LPG produced through fracking and oil production — IN THIS COUNTRY — so why would Searsport want to build a facility to IMPORT LPG from the Mid East and the North Sea?! IF we have a safe, cheap way of getting LPG and/or Propane from domestic US sources by rail and truck why would we want or need this dangerous, unprecedented facility to blight the coast of a tourist region and threaten or lobstering and tourism industries in Penobscot Bay. There are better ways to develop the port — how about Searsport getting the ferry to Nova Scotia???? THAT would be a smart, profitable, safe use of this vital resource that all of Searsport’s neighbors would support.