ROCKLAND, Maine — FMC, the city’s largest taxpayer and one of its largest employers, remains critical of proposed ordinances that would regulate energy plants, less than two weeks before final votes are expected by the City Council.
City officials, however, are defending the proposed ordinances, saying FMC is not interpreting them correctly.
Members of the city’s energy advisory committee and planning board have been working for the past four months on ordinances in response to a proposal last year by Rockland Energy Center LLC to build a natural-gas fired plant in the city that would generate electricity and steam. The council approved in January a six-month moratorium on energy plants.
Rockland Energy originally sought to purchase the city-owned property, where City Hall and public services facilities are located, but in December company spokesman Evan Coleman said the firm found private property on which the plant could be built. The location of that property was never divulged by the company.
The energy ordinance developed by the city committees received the council’s initial approval last month. Following that vote, FMC expressed its concerns in writing and suggested changes to the regulations.
“FMC operates in an extremely competitive global market and has recently undergone a reduction in work force to maintain competitiveness. FMC seeks ordinances that would have no effect on its current operations,” the unsigned May 16 document from the company states.
The company announced in March that it had laid off four workers and cut 13 positions, reducing the workforce to 107 employees.
FMC’s plant on the Rockland waterfront manufactures carrageenan, which is a common food additive extracted from seaweed and used as a thickening agent and stabilizer in such items as whipped cream, yogurt, ice cream, toothpaste and gelatin products.
The company said it needs flexibility to become more efficient, which may include the development of new power generation facilities on its property.
“No ordinance amendment should affect this goal,” the company stated.
The company said definitions in the proposed ordinance are so broad they could apply to any replacement or new power-generation equipment or facility at FMC. In October 2014, the plant converted from No. 6 heating oil to natural gas.
The proposed air emission standards are stricter than those imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, according to FMC. The proposed rules on cooling tower water also are more strict than other government regulations, the company maintains.
The lowering of daytime noise standards in the industrial zones also is a concern, according to the company.
FMC said to apply these new regulations to existing licensed facilities would be unfair and anti-business.
The City Council held a meeting with company representatives last month, and then the energy committee and planning board met again to review the proposed changes to determine whether they were needed. The council is scheduled to consider final approval of the package at its June 13 meeting.
On Tuesday, FMC marketing communications manager Lindsay Torriero issued a statement on the company’s position following those meetings.
“This is a complex ordinance with potentially very large implications for many local folks. The impacts appear to go beyond new generation facilities. It could include anyone seeking to replace or install electrical power generation equipment, whether that’s a business, hospital, school or hotel. We hope the council will have the opportunity to give it a full public hearing before making any decisions,” she stated.
City officials, however, have said the company’s concerns are unwarranted.
“These proposed ordinances are not anti-business and will not add any regulations on FMC’s current or future operation,” planning board Chairman Erik Laustsen said. “The single purpose of these ordinances is to place limits and controls on the construction and operations of any future electric power generation facilities.”
He said the ordinances should be seen as both pro-community and pro-business.
“The business community is not just made up of large industrial companies but of many small businesses such as restaurants, hotels, retail shops and others, which could be adversely affected by such a facility. These proposed ordinances are designed to protect the entire community from undue noise, increased air emissions, unnecessary overuse of public water and large fog plumes emanating from cooling towers to name a few of the issues.”
He said with the assistance of the city attorney and the two industrial engineers, the city forged a proposal to protect the city while at the same time allowing for future development of facilities that would improve the quality of life and not degrade it.