#searsport — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #searsport, aggregated by home.social.
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Bills revive debate over #SearsIsland port plan
Maine Public | By Peter McGuire
Published March 12, 2025"Lawmakers heard more than five hours of testimony Wednesday from both sides of a debate over preserving Sears Island in the Town of #Searsport.
"A pair of bills from state representative Reagan Paul would extend a #ConservationEasement across the island and restore #SandDuneProtections in a 330-acre parcel set aside for development.
"The Winterport Republican said it's time to end decades of controversial port proposals for the island in the town of Searsport. The latest plan is a floating offshore wind port by the Maine Department of Transportation that has so far failed to attract federal funding.
"'And yet #MDOT refuses to face reality, doubling down on failure and proving this is not about offshore wind, it is about pushing #IndustrialDevelopment at any cost,' Paul told members of the legislature's Environment and Natural Resources Committee.
"Local #conservationists support the proposal and said the highest and best use of the island is as a wild area. Any commercial development, including the wind port, can be done at nearby #MackPoint, a fuel and materials terminal."
Read more:
https://www.mainepublic.org/climate/2025-03-12/bills-revive-debate-over-sears-island-port-plan
#SaveSearsIsland #ProtectNature #Maine #WindTurbines #WindPort #PenobscotBay #ProtectSearsIsland #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #WindTerminal #SandDunes #ProtectWahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies -
Bills revive debate over #SearsIsland port plan
Maine Public | By Peter McGuire
Published March 12, 2025"Lawmakers heard more than five hours of testimony Wednesday from both sides of a debate over preserving Sears Island in the Town of #Searsport.
"A pair of bills from state representative Reagan Paul would extend a #ConservationEasement across the island and restore #SandDuneProtections in a 330-acre parcel set aside for development.
"The Winterport Republican said it's time to end decades of controversial port proposals for the island in the town of Searsport. The latest plan is a floating offshore wind port by the Maine Department of Transportation that has so far failed to attract federal funding.
"'And yet #MDOT refuses to face reality, doubling down on failure and proving this is not about offshore wind, it is about pushing #IndustrialDevelopment at any cost,' Paul told members of the legislature's Environment and Natural Resources Committee.
"Local #conservationists support the proposal and said the highest and best use of the island is as a wild area. Any commercial development, including the wind port, can be done at nearby #MackPoint, a fuel and materials terminal."
Read more:
https://www.mainepublic.org/climate/2025-03-12/bills-revive-debate-over-sears-island-port-plan
#SaveSearsIsland #ProtectNature #Maine #WindTurbines #WindPort #PenobscotBay #ProtectSearsIsland #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #WindTerminal #SandDunes #ProtectWahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies -
Bills revive debate over #SearsIsland port plan
Maine Public | By Peter McGuire
Published March 12, 2025"Lawmakers heard more than five hours of testimony Wednesday from both sides of a debate over preserving Sears Island in the Town of #Searsport.
"A pair of bills from state representative Reagan Paul would extend a #ConservationEasement across the island and restore #SandDuneProtections in a 330-acre parcel set aside for development.
"The Winterport Republican said it's time to end decades of controversial port proposals for the island in the town of Searsport. The latest plan is a floating offshore wind port by the Maine Department of Transportation that has so far failed to attract federal funding.
"'And yet #MDOT refuses to face reality, doubling down on failure and proving this is not about offshore wind, it is about pushing #IndustrialDevelopment at any cost,' Paul told members of the legislature's Environment and Natural Resources Committee.
"Local #conservationists support the proposal and said the highest and best use of the island is as a wild area. Any commercial development, including the wind port, can be done at nearby #MackPoint, a fuel and materials terminal."
Read more:
https://www.mainepublic.org/climate/2025-03-12/bills-revive-debate-over-sears-island-port-plan
#SaveSearsIsland #ProtectNature #Maine #WindTurbines #WindPort #PenobscotBay #ProtectSearsIsland #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #WindTerminal #SandDunes #ProtectWahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies -
Bills revive debate over #SearsIsland port plan
Maine Public | By Peter McGuire
Published March 12, 2025"Lawmakers heard more than five hours of testimony Wednesday from both sides of a debate over preserving Sears Island in the Town of #Searsport.
"A pair of bills from state representative Reagan Paul would extend a #ConservationEasement across the island and restore #SandDuneProtections in a 330-acre parcel set aside for development.
"The Winterport Republican said it's time to end decades of controversial port proposals for the island in the town of Searsport. The latest plan is a floating offshore wind port by the Maine Department of Transportation that has so far failed to attract federal funding.
"'And yet #MDOT refuses to face reality, doubling down on failure and proving this is not about offshore wind, it is about pushing #IndustrialDevelopment at any cost,' Paul told members of the legislature's Environment and Natural Resources Committee.
"Local #conservationists support the proposal and said the highest and best use of the island is as a wild area. Any commercial development, including the wind port, can be done at nearby #MackPoint, a fuel and materials terminal."
Read more:
https://www.mainepublic.org/climate/2025-03-12/bills-revive-debate-over-sears-island-port-plan
#SaveSearsIsland #ProtectNature #Maine #WindTurbines #WindPort #PenobscotBay #ProtectSearsIsland #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #WindTerminal #SandDunes #ProtectWahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies -
Bills revive debate over #SearsIsland port plan
Maine Public | By Peter McGuire
Published March 12, 2025"Lawmakers heard more than five hours of testimony Wednesday from both sides of a debate over preserving Sears Island in the Town of #Searsport.
"A pair of bills from state representative Reagan Paul would extend a #ConservationEasement across the island and restore #SandDuneProtections in a 330-acre parcel set aside for development.
"The Winterport Republican said it's time to end decades of controversial port proposals for the island in the town of Searsport. The latest plan is a floating offshore wind port by the Maine Department of Transportation that has so far failed to attract federal funding.
"'And yet #MDOT refuses to face reality, doubling down on failure and proving this is not about offshore wind, it is about pushing #IndustrialDevelopment at any cost,' Paul told members of the legislature's Environment and Natural Resources Committee.
"Local #conservationists support the proposal and said the highest and best use of the island is as a wild area. Any commercial development, including the wind port, can be done at nearby #MackPoint, a fuel and materials terminal."
Read more:
https://www.mainepublic.org/climate/2025-03-12/bills-revive-debate-over-sears-island-port-plan
#SaveSearsIsland #ProtectNature #Maine #WindTurbines #WindPort #PenobscotBay #ProtectSearsIsland #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #WindTerminal #SandDunes #ProtectWahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies -
#SpragueEnergy offers alternative plan for offshore #WindPort at #MackPoint
Story by Katie Delaney
June 11, 2024"The State of Maine is planning to build its first offshore wind port on Sears Island in #Searsport, but Sprague Energy is pushing for its facility at Mack Point to be reconsidered as the site for the project.
"Leaders of Sprague Energy held tours Tuesday to show people their plan for offshore wind at Mack Point which they say is a lower-impact alternative to #SearsIsland.
"'This is a technology we've been serving for 20 years; we know what we do, we know our plan is rational,' Sprague Energy Vice President of Materials Handling Jim Therriault said.
"Sprague Energy has been working on #WindTurbines for the land, but it’s ready to take them to the sea.
"Therriault said the plan will impact the land less than the Sears Island project while still preserving their current operations.
"'We came up with a plan that gives you the same, if not more, capability and we did it with greatly reduced dredging, probably about an 85 percent reduction,' Therriault said.
"Sprague would make money on the deal. It would lease 100 acres of its facility to the State of Maine. Sprague says its site would be cheaper than Sears Island.
"'That lease fee will likely be lower than the state financing fees,' Sprague Energy President and CEO Dave Glendon said."
#Maine #PenobscotBay #ProtectSearsIsland #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #WindTerminal #SandDunes
#ProtectWahsumkik #Wahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies #GovernorJanetMills #Wassumkeag -
#SpragueEnergy offers alternative plan for offshore #WindPort at #MackPoint
Story by Katie Delaney
June 11, 2024"The State of Maine is planning to build its first offshore wind port on Sears Island in #Searsport, but Sprague Energy is pushing for its facility at Mack Point to be reconsidered as the site for the project.
"Leaders of Sprague Energy held tours Tuesday to show people their plan for offshore wind at Mack Point which they say is a lower-impact alternative to #SearsIsland.
"'This is a technology we've been serving for 20 years; we know what we do, we know our plan is rational,' Sprague Energy Vice President of Materials Handling Jim Therriault said.
"Sprague Energy has been working on #WindTurbines for the land, but it’s ready to take them to the sea.
"Therriault said the plan will impact the land less than the Sears Island project while still preserving their current operations.
"'We came up with a plan that gives you the same, if not more, capability and we did it with greatly reduced dredging, probably about an 85 percent reduction,' Therriault said.
"Sprague would make money on the deal. It would lease 100 acres of its facility to the State of Maine. Sprague says its site would be cheaper than Sears Island.
"'That lease fee will likely be lower than the state financing fees,' Sprague Energy President and CEO Dave Glendon said."
#Maine #PenobscotBay #ProtectSearsIsland #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #WindTerminal #SandDunes
#ProtectWahsumkik #Wahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies #GovernorJanetMills #Wassumkeag -
#SpragueEnergy offers alternative plan for offshore #WindPort at #MackPoint
Story by Katie Delaney
June 11, 2024"The State of Maine is planning to build its first offshore wind port on Sears Island in #Searsport, but Sprague Energy is pushing for its facility at Mack Point to be reconsidered as the site for the project.
"Leaders of Sprague Energy held tours Tuesday to show people their plan for offshore wind at Mack Point which they say is a lower-impact alternative to #SearsIsland.
"'This is a technology we've been serving for 20 years; we know what we do, we know our plan is rational,' Sprague Energy Vice President of Materials Handling Jim Therriault said.
"Sprague Energy has been working on #WindTurbines for the land, but it’s ready to take them to the sea.
"Therriault said the plan will impact the land less than the Sears Island project while still preserving their current operations.
"'We came up with a plan that gives you the same, if not more, capability and we did it with greatly reduced dredging, probably about an 85 percent reduction,' Therriault said.
"Sprague would make money on the deal. It would lease 100 acres of its facility to the State of Maine. Sprague says its site would be cheaper than Sears Island.
"'That lease fee will likely be lower than the state financing fees,' Sprague Energy President and CEO Dave Glendon said."
#Maine #PenobscotBay #ProtectSearsIsland #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #WindTerminal #SandDunes
#ProtectWahsumkik #Wahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies #GovernorJanetMills #Wassumkeag -
#SpragueEnergy offers alternative plan for offshore #WindPort at #MackPoint
Story by Katie Delaney
June 11, 2024"The State of Maine is planning to build its first offshore wind port on Sears Island in #Searsport, but Sprague Energy is pushing for its facility at Mack Point to be reconsidered as the site for the project.
"Leaders of Sprague Energy held tours Tuesday to show people their plan for offshore wind at Mack Point which they say is a lower-impact alternative to #SearsIsland.
"'This is a technology we've been serving for 20 years; we know what we do, we know our plan is rational,' Sprague Energy Vice President of Materials Handling Jim Therriault said.
"Sprague Energy has been working on #WindTurbines for the land, but it’s ready to take them to the sea.
"Therriault said the plan will impact the land less than the Sears Island project while still preserving their current operations.
"'We came up with a plan that gives you the same, if not more, capability and we did it with greatly reduced dredging, probably about an 85 percent reduction,' Therriault said.
"Sprague would make money on the deal. It would lease 100 acres of its facility to the State of Maine. Sprague says its site would be cheaper than Sears Island.
"'That lease fee will likely be lower than the state financing fees,' Sprague Energy President and CEO Dave Glendon said."
#Maine #PenobscotBay #ProtectSearsIsland #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #WindTerminal #SandDunes
#ProtectWahsumkik #Wahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies #GovernorJanetMills #Wassumkeag -
#SpragueEnergy offers alternative plan for offshore #WindPort at #MackPoint
Story by Katie Delaney
June 11, 2024"The State of Maine is planning to build its first offshore wind port on Sears Island in #Searsport, but Sprague Energy is pushing for its facility at Mack Point to be reconsidered as the site for the project.
"Leaders of Sprague Energy held tours Tuesday to show people their plan for offshore wind at Mack Point which they say is a lower-impact alternative to #SearsIsland.
"'This is a technology we've been serving for 20 years; we know what we do, we know our plan is rational,' Sprague Energy Vice President of Materials Handling Jim Therriault said.
"Sprague Energy has been working on #WindTurbines for the land, but it’s ready to take them to the sea.
"Therriault said the plan will impact the land less than the Sears Island project while still preserving their current operations.
"'We came up with a plan that gives you the same, if not more, capability and we did it with greatly reduced dredging, probably about an 85 percent reduction,' Therriault said.
"Sprague would make money on the deal. It would lease 100 acres of its facility to the State of Maine. Sprague says its site would be cheaper than Sears Island.
"'That lease fee will likely be lower than the state financing fees,' Sprague Energy President and CEO Dave Glendon said."
#Maine #PenobscotBay #ProtectSearsIsland #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #WindTerminal #SandDunes
#ProtectWahsumkik #Wahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies #GovernorJanetMills #Wassumkeag -
#SearsIsland Study Area
#Wetland Delineation#Photographs: August & September, 2023
Sears Island
Searsport, Maine 04974#Nature #MDOT #MaineDOT #JanetMills #SaveTheWetlands #EndangeredSpecies #Wahsumkik #Searsport
#WindTurbines #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #OffshoreWindFarm #ProtectWahsumkik #ProtectNature #MackPoint -
#SearsIsland Study Area
#Wetland Delineation#Photographs: August & September, 2023
Sears Island
Searsport, Maine 04974#Nature #MDOT #MaineDOT #JanetMills #SaveTheWetlands #EndangeredSpecies #Wahsumkik #Searsport
#WindTurbines #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #OffshoreWindFarm #ProtectWahsumkik #ProtectNature #MackPoint -
#SearsIsland Study Area
#Wetland Delineation#Photographs: August & September, 2023
Sears Island
Searsport, Maine 04974#Nature #MDOT #MaineDOT #JanetMills #SaveTheWetlands #EndangeredSpecies #Wahsumkik #Searsport
#WindTurbines #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #OffshoreWindFarm #ProtectWahsumkik #ProtectNature #MackPoint -
#SearsIsland Study Area
#Wetland Delineation#Photographs: August & September, 2023
Sears Island
Searsport, Maine 04974#Nature #MDOT #MaineDOT #JanetMills #SaveTheWetlands #EndangeredSpecies #Wahsumkik #Searsport
#WindTurbines #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #OffshoreWindFarm #ProtectWahsumkik #ProtectNature #MackPoint -
#SearsIsland Study Area
#Wetland Delineation#Photographs: August & September, 2023
Sears Island
Searsport, Maine 04974#Nature #MDOT #MaineDOT #JanetMills #SaveTheWetlands #EndangeredSpecies #Wahsumkik #Searsport
#WindTurbines #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #OffshoreWindFarm #ProtectWahsumkik #ProtectNature #MackPoint -
"The #PeregrineFalcon, a federally endangered species that has been verified on #SearsIsland, likely preys on smaller birds along the island's coast. The #SouthernBogLemming (state watch list) and #EasternRibbonSnake (state special concern list) have been verified on Sears Island..."
#EndangeredSpecies #Wahsumkik #Searsport
#WindTurbines #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #OffshoreWindFarm #ProtectWahsumkik #ProtectNature #MackPoint -
"The #PeregrineFalcon, a federally endangered species that has been verified on #SearsIsland, likely preys on smaller birds along the island's coast. The #SouthernBogLemming (state watch list) and #EasternRibbonSnake (state special concern list) have been verified on Sears Island..."
#EndangeredSpecies #Wahsumkik #Searsport
#WindTurbines #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #OffshoreWindFarm #ProtectWahsumkik #ProtectNature #MackPoint -
"The #PeregrineFalcon, a federally endangered species that has been verified on #SearsIsland, likely preys on smaller birds along the island's coast. The #SouthernBogLemming (state watch list) and #EasternRibbonSnake (state special concern list) have been verified on Sears Island..."
#EndangeredSpecies #Wahsumkik #Searsport
#WindTurbines #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #OffshoreWindFarm #ProtectWahsumkik #ProtectNature #MackPoint -
"The #PeregrineFalcon, a federally endangered species that has been verified on #SearsIsland, likely preys on smaller birds along the island's coast. The #SouthernBogLemming (state watch list) and #EasternRibbonSnake (state special concern list) have been verified on Sears Island..."
#EndangeredSpecies #Wahsumkik #Searsport
#WindTurbines #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #OffshoreWindFarm #ProtectWahsumkik #ProtectNature #MackPoint -
"The #PeregrineFalcon, a federally endangered species that has been verified on #SearsIsland, likely preys on smaller birds along the island's coast. The #SouthernBogLemming (state watch list) and #EasternRibbonSnake (state special concern list) have been verified on Sears Island..."
#EndangeredSpecies #Wahsumkik #Searsport
#WindTurbines #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #OffshoreWindFarm #ProtectWahsumkik #ProtectNature #MackPoint -
Energy company wants #Maine to use its port instead of #SearsIsland for offshore wind hub
Competition for Maine's offshore #WindPort is sharpening with #SpragueEnergy Operating Resources proposing #MackPoint as an alternative to the state's preferred site on nearby Sears Island.
by Stephen Singer, June 6, 2024
[Behind a paywall -- full text below]
An energy and port services company is pitching its Mack Point industrial property as a location for an offshore wind port, offering it as an alternative to the site on nearby Sears Island that is preferred by the state but opposed by local residents.
Sprague Operating Resources LLC on Thursday released details of its plan for Maine’s offshore wind project in Searsport. It says its site will be less costly than the Sears Island location and spare that area the disruption caused by port construction, a key issue that locals have criticized. The plan proposes a launching dock, assembly area for wind turbines before they’re dispatched to the Gulf of Maine and a recently updated rail yard.
“We can’t get the state to look at this plan seriously,” said James Therriault, vice president of materials handling at Sprague.
The Mills administration says Sears Island is the best choice for an offshore wind port because the site is owned by the state, saving money that would otherwise be required to lease another location, and is designated for port development.
State officials also have said that the Sears Island site would not require dredging, unlike at Mack Point. But Therriault said Mack Point has been dredged to a depth that can accept ships. “We’ll take advantage of depth that’s already there,” he said.
Sprague says its Mack Point Terminal offers 100 acres separate from current activities, a base launching dock allowing the use of a semi-submersible barge or Tug Dock device – next-generation equipment used to install offshore wind platforms – and a second large vessel dock for Sprague’s bulk and liquid operations that can also serve as a backup dock.
“Sprague believes it’s in the best interests of Mainers to urge the state to fully analyze the costs, timings and impacts of Sprague’s alternative design,” Therriault said. “We believe this alternative achieves the goal of minimizing impacts on natural and working lands, while reducing overall cost and providing all the same operational and vessel functionality.”
In response to Sprague’s proposal, the state Department of Transportation said Mack Point has “physical and logistical constraints.” The agency says the area would require a “significant” need for dredging and greater costs to Maine taxpayers for leasing and construction, resulting in a “more expensive and inferior port facility for Maine compared to Sears Island.”
“What are those constraints?” asked Rolf Olsen, vice president of Friends of Sears Island, a volunteer, nonprofit organization that manages a conservation area on the island. He opposes the state’s proposal and favors Mack Point.
State officials use the “same generalities” as they have before, he said. “I don’t see anything new here.”
DOT officials said Sears Island is “one of the best sites for a deep-water port on the Eastern Seaboard, which is why a portion of the island has been reserved for port development for many years.”“By all available information, analysis and stakeholder input, Sears Island is the most feasible and cost-effective location for an offshore wind port,” the state said.
The state’s selection of Sears Island as its preferred site “followed two years of evaluation, local discussions and assessment of all other port options – including Mack Point,” the DOT said.
Gov. #JanetMills announced in February the state’s preferred site at Sears Island. The selection is subject to state and federal permitting and will be analyzed in comparison to Mack Point.
Olsen said redeveloping Mack Point, “which has thrived as an industrial site for more than a century” would be less disruptive than building a port on Sears Island.
The state, he said is “single-mindedly going for Sears Island.”#Wahsumkik #Searsport
#WindTurbines #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #EndangeredSpecies #OffshoreWindFarm #ProtectWahsumkik #ProtectNature -
Energy company wants #Maine to use its port instead of #SearsIsland for offshore wind hub
Competition for Maine's offshore #WindPort is sharpening with #SpragueEnergy Operating Resources proposing #MackPoint as an alternative to the state's preferred site on nearby Sears Island.
by Stephen Singer, June 6, 2024
[Behind a paywall -- full text below]
An energy and port services company is pitching its Mack Point industrial property as a location for an offshore wind port, offering it as an alternative to the site on nearby Sears Island that is preferred by the state but opposed by local residents.
Sprague Operating Resources LLC on Thursday released details of its plan for Maine’s offshore wind project in Searsport. It says its site will be less costly than the Sears Island location and spare that area the disruption caused by port construction, a key issue that locals have criticized. The plan proposes a launching dock, assembly area for wind turbines before they’re dispatched to the Gulf of Maine and a recently updated rail yard.
“We can’t get the state to look at this plan seriously,” said James Therriault, vice president of materials handling at Sprague.
The Mills administration says Sears Island is the best choice for an offshore wind port because the site is owned by the state, saving money that would otherwise be required to lease another location, and is designated for port development.
State officials also have said that the Sears Island site would not require dredging, unlike at Mack Point. But Therriault said Mack Point has been dredged to a depth that can accept ships. “We’ll take advantage of depth that’s already there,” he said.
Sprague says its Mack Point Terminal offers 100 acres separate from current activities, a base launching dock allowing the use of a semi-submersible barge or Tug Dock device – next-generation equipment used to install offshore wind platforms – and a second large vessel dock for Sprague’s bulk and liquid operations that can also serve as a backup dock.
“Sprague believes it’s in the best interests of Mainers to urge the state to fully analyze the costs, timings and impacts of Sprague’s alternative design,” Therriault said. “We believe this alternative achieves the goal of minimizing impacts on natural and working lands, while reducing overall cost and providing all the same operational and vessel functionality.”
In response to Sprague’s proposal, the state Department of Transportation said Mack Point has “physical and logistical constraints.” The agency says the area would require a “significant” need for dredging and greater costs to Maine taxpayers for leasing and construction, resulting in a “more expensive and inferior port facility for Maine compared to Sears Island.”
“What are those constraints?” asked Rolf Olsen, vice president of Friends of Sears Island, a volunteer, nonprofit organization that manages a conservation area on the island. He opposes the state’s proposal and favors Mack Point.
State officials use the “same generalities” as they have before, he said. “I don’t see anything new here.”
DOT officials said Sears Island is “one of the best sites for a deep-water port on the Eastern Seaboard, which is why a portion of the island has been reserved for port development for many years.”“By all available information, analysis and stakeholder input, Sears Island is the most feasible and cost-effective location for an offshore wind port,” the state said.
The state’s selection of Sears Island as its preferred site “followed two years of evaluation, local discussions and assessment of all other port options – including Mack Point,” the DOT said.
Gov. #JanetMills announced in February the state’s preferred site at Sears Island. The selection is subject to state and federal permitting and will be analyzed in comparison to Mack Point.
Olsen said redeveloping Mack Point, “which has thrived as an industrial site for more than a century” would be less disruptive than building a port on Sears Island.
The state, he said is “single-mindedly going for Sears Island.”#Wahsumkik #Searsport
#WindTurbines #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #EndangeredSpecies #OffshoreWindFarm #ProtectWahsumkik #ProtectNature -
Energy company wants #Maine to use its port instead of #SearsIsland for offshore wind hub
Competition for Maine's offshore #WindPort is sharpening with #SpragueEnergy Operating Resources proposing #MackPoint as an alternative to the state's preferred site on nearby Sears Island.
by Stephen Singer, June 6, 2024
[Behind a paywall -- full text below]
An energy and port services company is pitching its Mack Point industrial property as a location for an offshore wind port, offering it as an alternative to the site on nearby Sears Island that is preferred by the state but opposed by local residents.
Sprague Operating Resources LLC on Thursday released details of its plan for Maine’s offshore wind project in Searsport. It says its site will be less costly than the Sears Island location and spare that area the disruption caused by port construction, a key issue that locals have criticized. The plan proposes a launching dock, assembly area for wind turbines before they’re dispatched to the Gulf of Maine and a recently updated rail yard.
“We can’t get the state to look at this plan seriously,” said James Therriault, vice president of materials handling at Sprague.
The Mills administration says Sears Island is the best choice for an offshore wind port because the site is owned by the state, saving money that would otherwise be required to lease another location, and is designated for port development.
State officials also have said that the Sears Island site would not require dredging, unlike at Mack Point. But Therriault said Mack Point has been dredged to a depth that can accept ships. “We’ll take advantage of depth that’s already there,” he said.
Sprague says its Mack Point Terminal offers 100 acres separate from current activities, a base launching dock allowing the use of a semi-submersible barge or Tug Dock device – next-generation equipment used to install offshore wind platforms – and a second large vessel dock for Sprague’s bulk and liquid operations that can also serve as a backup dock.
“Sprague believes it’s in the best interests of Mainers to urge the state to fully analyze the costs, timings and impacts of Sprague’s alternative design,” Therriault said. “We believe this alternative achieves the goal of minimizing impacts on natural and working lands, while reducing overall cost and providing all the same operational and vessel functionality.”
In response to Sprague’s proposal, the state Department of Transportation said Mack Point has “physical and logistical constraints.” The agency says the area would require a “significant” need for dredging and greater costs to Maine taxpayers for leasing and construction, resulting in a “more expensive and inferior port facility for Maine compared to Sears Island.”
“What are those constraints?” asked Rolf Olsen, vice president of Friends of Sears Island, a volunteer, nonprofit organization that manages a conservation area on the island. He opposes the state’s proposal and favors Mack Point.
State officials use the “same generalities” as they have before, he said. “I don’t see anything new here.”
DOT officials said Sears Island is “one of the best sites for a deep-water port on the Eastern Seaboard, which is why a portion of the island has been reserved for port development for many years.”“By all available information, analysis and stakeholder input, Sears Island is the most feasible and cost-effective location for an offshore wind port,” the state said.
The state’s selection of Sears Island as its preferred site “followed two years of evaluation, local discussions and assessment of all other port options – including Mack Point,” the DOT said.
Gov. #JanetMills announced in February the state’s preferred site at Sears Island. The selection is subject to state and federal permitting and will be analyzed in comparison to Mack Point.
Olsen said redeveloping Mack Point, “which has thrived as an industrial site for more than a century” would be less disruptive than building a port on Sears Island.
The state, he said is “single-mindedly going for Sears Island.”#Wahsumkik #Searsport
#WindTurbines #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #EndangeredSpecies #OffshoreWindFarm #ProtectWahsumkik #ProtectNature -
Energy company wants #Maine to use its port instead of #SearsIsland for offshore wind hub
Competition for Maine's offshore #WindPort is sharpening with #SpragueEnergy Operating Resources proposing #MackPoint as an alternative to the state's preferred site on nearby Sears Island.
by Stephen Singer, June 6, 2024
[Behind a paywall -- full text below]
An energy and port services company is pitching its Mack Point industrial property as a location for an offshore wind port, offering it as an alternative to the site on nearby Sears Island that is preferred by the state but opposed by local residents.
Sprague Operating Resources LLC on Thursday released details of its plan for Maine’s offshore wind project in Searsport. It says its site will be less costly than the Sears Island location and spare that area the disruption caused by port construction, a key issue that locals have criticized. The plan proposes a launching dock, assembly area for wind turbines before they’re dispatched to the Gulf of Maine and a recently updated rail yard.
“We can’t get the state to look at this plan seriously,” said James Therriault, vice president of materials handling at Sprague.
The Mills administration says Sears Island is the best choice for an offshore wind port because the site is owned by the state, saving money that would otherwise be required to lease another location, and is designated for port development.
State officials also have said that the Sears Island site would not require dredging, unlike at Mack Point. But Therriault said Mack Point has been dredged to a depth that can accept ships. “We’ll take advantage of depth that’s already there,” he said.
Sprague says its Mack Point Terminal offers 100 acres separate from current activities, a base launching dock allowing the use of a semi-submersible barge or Tug Dock device – next-generation equipment used to install offshore wind platforms – and a second large vessel dock for Sprague’s bulk and liquid operations that can also serve as a backup dock.
“Sprague believes it’s in the best interests of Mainers to urge the state to fully analyze the costs, timings and impacts of Sprague’s alternative design,” Therriault said. “We believe this alternative achieves the goal of minimizing impacts on natural and working lands, while reducing overall cost and providing all the same operational and vessel functionality.”
In response to Sprague’s proposal, the state Department of Transportation said Mack Point has “physical and logistical constraints.” The agency says the area would require a “significant” need for dredging and greater costs to Maine taxpayers for leasing and construction, resulting in a “more expensive and inferior port facility for Maine compared to Sears Island.”
“What are those constraints?” asked Rolf Olsen, vice president of Friends of Sears Island, a volunteer, nonprofit organization that manages a conservation area on the island. He opposes the state’s proposal and favors Mack Point.
State officials use the “same generalities” as they have before, he said. “I don’t see anything new here.”
DOT officials said Sears Island is “one of the best sites for a deep-water port on the Eastern Seaboard, which is why a portion of the island has been reserved for port development for many years.”“By all available information, analysis and stakeholder input, Sears Island is the most feasible and cost-effective location for an offshore wind port,” the state said.
The state’s selection of Sears Island as its preferred site “followed two years of evaluation, local discussions and assessment of all other port options – including Mack Point,” the DOT said.
Gov. #JanetMills announced in February the state’s preferred site at Sears Island. The selection is subject to state and federal permitting and will be analyzed in comparison to Mack Point.
Olsen said redeveloping Mack Point, “which has thrived as an industrial site for more than a century” would be less disruptive than building a port on Sears Island.
The state, he said is “single-mindedly going for Sears Island.”#Wahsumkik #Searsport
#WindTurbines #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #EndangeredSpecies #OffshoreWindFarm #ProtectWahsumkik #ProtectNature -
Energy company wants #Maine to use its port instead of #SearsIsland for offshore wind hub
Competition for Maine's offshore #WindPort is sharpening with #SpragueEnergy Operating Resources proposing #MackPoint as an alternative to the state's preferred site on nearby Sears Island.
by Stephen Singer, June 6, 2024
[Behind a paywall -- full text below]
An energy and port services company is pitching its Mack Point industrial property as a location for an offshore wind port, offering it as an alternative to the site on nearby Sears Island that is preferred by the state but opposed by local residents.
Sprague Operating Resources LLC on Thursday released details of its plan for Maine’s offshore wind project in Searsport. It says its site will be less costly than the Sears Island location and spare that area the disruption caused by port construction, a key issue that locals have criticized. The plan proposes a launching dock, assembly area for wind turbines before they’re dispatched to the Gulf of Maine and a recently updated rail yard.
“We can’t get the state to look at this plan seriously,” said James Therriault, vice president of materials handling at Sprague.
The Mills administration says Sears Island is the best choice for an offshore wind port because the site is owned by the state, saving money that would otherwise be required to lease another location, and is designated for port development.
State officials also have said that the Sears Island site would not require dredging, unlike at Mack Point. But Therriault said Mack Point has been dredged to a depth that can accept ships. “We’ll take advantage of depth that’s already there,” he said.
Sprague says its Mack Point Terminal offers 100 acres separate from current activities, a base launching dock allowing the use of a semi-submersible barge or Tug Dock device – next-generation equipment used to install offshore wind platforms – and a second large vessel dock for Sprague’s bulk and liquid operations that can also serve as a backup dock.
“Sprague believes it’s in the best interests of Mainers to urge the state to fully analyze the costs, timings and impacts of Sprague’s alternative design,” Therriault said. “We believe this alternative achieves the goal of minimizing impacts on natural and working lands, while reducing overall cost and providing all the same operational and vessel functionality.”
In response to Sprague’s proposal, the state Department of Transportation said Mack Point has “physical and logistical constraints.” The agency says the area would require a “significant” need for dredging and greater costs to Maine taxpayers for leasing and construction, resulting in a “more expensive and inferior port facility for Maine compared to Sears Island.”
“What are those constraints?” asked Rolf Olsen, vice president of Friends of Sears Island, a volunteer, nonprofit organization that manages a conservation area on the island. He opposes the state’s proposal and favors Mack Point.
State officials use the “same generalities” as they have before, he said. “I don’t see anything new here.”
DOT officials said Sears Island is “one of the best sites for a deep-water port on the Eastern Seaboard, which is why a portion of the island has been reserved for port development for many years.”“By all available information, analysis and stakeholder input, Sears Island is the most feasible and cost-effective location for an offshore wind port,” the state said.
The state’s selection of Sears Island as its preferred site “followed two years of evaluation, local discussions and assessment of all other port options – including Mack Point,” the DOT said.
Gov. #JanetMills announced in February the state’s preferred site at Sears Island. The selection is subject to state and federal permitting and will be analyzed in comparison to Mack Point.
Olsen said redeveloping Mack Point, “which has thrived as an industrial site for more than a century” would be less disruptive than building a port on Sears Island.
The state, he said is “single-mindedly going for Sears Island.”#Wahsumkik #Searsport
#WindTurbines #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #EndangeredSpecies #OffshoreWindFarm #ProtectWahsumkik #ProtectNature -
Tree cutting has already started! Call your legislators and #ProtectTheForest / #ProtectTheDunes and #SaveSearsIsland! The trees and greenery there keep #Carbon from entering the atmosphere! #MackPoint is a better choice, since it has already been developed and is NOT ecologically sensitive!
[Undeveloped] #SearsIsland has staved off #industrialization for decades. Now it may become #Maine’s #WindPort.
Many say Mack Point's the better choice.
SEARSPORT — "At 940 acres, Sears Island is the largest uninhabited island off the coast of Maine, making it an inviting patch of ground for proposed developments such as a shipping cargo port and #nuclear power plant.
"For decades, however, the #PenobscotBay island has been a graveyard for major projects that never got built.
"That could change in the coming years.
"#GovJanetMills announced in February that Sears Island is the state’s preferred site for an industrial port with facilities to build, assemble and maintain floating offshore wind turbines, hundreds of feet in height. The undeveloped site would be transformed into a busy hub for ships delivering materials to build the turbines, and it would be populated by cranes, storage facilities and vehicles.
[...]
"Many local residents and others in Maine [including the #WabanakiAlliance] say Mack Point is a more logical launchpad for the state’s floating wind industry, and that the state should spare tranquil Sears Island with its abundant woods, trails and views of #PenobscotBay from becoming what they fear would be an industrial zone."
#Maine #ProtectSearsIsland #WindTerminal #SandDunes
#Searsport #ProtectWahsumkik #Wahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies #GovernorJanetMills #Wassumkeag #AllianceForSearsIsland #CulturalGenocide #Greenwashing -
Tree cutting has already started! Call your legislators and #ProtectTheForest / #ProtectTheDunes and #SaveSearsIsland! The trees and greenery there keep #Carbon from entering the atmosphere! #MackPoint is a better choice, since it has already been developed and is NOT ecologically sensitive!
[Undeveloped] #SearsIsland has staved off #industrialization for decades. Now it may become #Maine’s #WindPort.
Many say Mack Point's the better choice.
SEARSPORT — "At 940 acres, Sears Island is the largest uninhabited island off the coast of Maine, making it an inviting patch of ground for proposed developments such as a shipping cargo port and #nuclear power plant.
"For decades, however, the #PenobscotBay island has been a graveyard for major projects that never got built.
"That could change in the coming years.
"#GovJanetMills announced in February that Sears Island is the state’s preferred site for an industrial port with facilities to build, assemble and maintain floating offshore wind turbines, hundreds of feet in height. The undeveloped site would be transformed into a busy hub for ships delivering materials to build the turbines, and it would be populated by cranes, storage facilities and vehicles.
[...]
"Many local residents and others in Maine [including the #WabanakiAlliance] say Mack Point is a more logical launchpad for the state’s floating wind industry, and that the state should spare tranquil Sears Island with its abundant woods, trails and views of #PenobscotBay from becoming what they fear would be an industrial zone."
#Maine #ProtectSearsIsland #WindTerminal #SandDunes
#Searsport #ProtectWahsumkik #Wahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies #GovernorJanetMills #Wassumkeag #AllianceForSearsIsland #CulturalGenocide #Greenwashing -
Tree cutting has already started! Call your legislators and #ProtectTheForest / #ProtectTheDunes and #SaveSearsIsland! The trees and greenery there keep #Carbon from entering the atmosphere! #MackPoint is a better choice, since it has already been developed and is NOT ecologically sensitive!
[Undeveloped] #SearsIsland has staved off #industrialization for decades. Now it may become #Maine’s #WindPort.
Many say Mack Point's the better choice.
SEARSPORT — "At 940 acres, Sears Island is the largest uninhabited island off the coast of Maine, making it an inviting patch of ground for proposed developments such as a shipping cargo port and #nuclear power plant.
"For decades, however, the #PenobscotBay island has been a graveyard for major projects that never got built.
"That could change in the coming years.
"#GovJanetMills announced in February that Sears Island is the state’s preferred site for an industrial port with facilities to build, assemble and maintain floating offshore wind turbines, hundreds of feet in height. The undeveloped site would be transformed into a busy hub for ships delivering materials to build the turbines, and it would be populated by cranes, storage facilities and vehicles.
[...]
"Many local residents and others in Maine [including the #WabanakiAlliance] say Mack Point is a more logical launchpad for the state’s floating wind industry, and that the state should spare tranquil Sears Island with its abundant woods, trails and views of #PenobscotBay from becoming what they fear would be an industrial zone."
#Maine #ProtectSearsIsland #WindTerminal #SandDunes
#Searsport #ProtectWahsumkik #Wahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies #GovernorJanetMills #Wassumkeag #AllianceForSearsIsland #CulturalGenocide #Greenwashing -
Tree cutting has already started! Call your legislators and #ProtectTheForest / #ProtectTheDunes and #SaveSearsIsland! The trees and greenery there keep #Carbon from entering the atmosphere! #MackPoint is a better choice, since it has already been developed and is NOT ecologically sensitive!
[Undeveloped] #SearsIsland has staved off #industrialization for decades. Now it may become #Maine’s #WindPort.
Many say Mack Point's the better choice.
SEARSPORT — "At 940 acres, Sears Island is the largest uninhabited island off the coast of Maine, making it an inviting patch of ground for proposed developments such as a shipping cargo port and #nuclear power plant.
"For decades, however, the #PenobscotBay island has been a graveyard for major projects that never got built.
"That could change in the coming years.
"#GovJanetMills announced in February that Sears Island is the state’s preferred site for an industrial port with facilities to build, assemble and maintain floating offshore wind turbines, hundreds of feet in height. The undeveloped site would be transformed into a busy hub for ships delivering materials to build the turbines, and it would be populated by cranes, storage facilities and vehicles.
[...]
"Many local residents and others in Maine [including the #WabanakiAlliance] say Mack Point is a more logical launchpad for the state’s floating wind industry, and that the state should spare tranquil Sears Island with its abundant woods, trails and views of #PenobscotBay from becoming what they fear would be an industrial zone."
#Maine #ProtectSearsIsland #WindTerminal #SandDunes
#Searsport #ProtectWahsumkik #Wahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies #GovernorJanetMills #Wassumkeag #AllianceForSearsIsland #CulturalGenocide #Greenwashing -
Tree cutting has already started! Call your legislators and #ProtectTheForest / #ProtectTheDunes and #SaveSearsIsland! The trees and greenery there keep #Carbon from entering the atmosphere! #MackPoint is a better choice, since it has already been developed and is NOT ecologically sensitive!
[Undeveloped] #SearsIsland has staved off #industrialization for decades. Now it may become #Maine’s #WindPort.
Many say Mack Point's the better choice.
SEARSPORT — "At 940 acres, Sears Island is the largest uninhabited island off the coast of Maine, making it an inviting patch of ground for proposed developments such as a shipping cargo port and #nuclear power plant.
"For decades, however, the #PenobscotBay island has been a graveyard for major projects that never got built.
"That could change in the coming years.
"#GovJanetMills announced in February that Sears Island is the state’s preferred site for an industrial port with facilities to build, assemble and maintain floating offshore wind turbines, hundreds of feet in height. The undeveloped site would be transformed into a busy hub for ships delivering materials to build the turbines, and it would be populated by cranes, storage facilities and vehicles.
[...]
"Many local residents and others in Maine [including the #WabanakiAlliance] say Mack Point is a more logical launchpad for the state’s floating wind industry, and that the state should spare tranquil Sears Island with its abundant woods, trails and views of #PenobscotBay from becoming what they fear would be an industrial zone."
#Maine #ProtectSearsIsland #WindTerminal #SandDunes
#Searsport #ProtectWahsumkik #Wahsumkik #EndangeredSpecies #GovernorJanetMills #Wassumkeag #AllianceForSearsIsland #CulturalGenocide #Greenwashing -
Historically Undeveloped #SearsIsland Now Threatened by #Maine’s #WindTurbine Project
By Seamus Othot
November 20, 2023"The State of Maine intends to develop the untouched Sears Island in #Searsport to build and ship offshore wind turbines, according to Downeast lawmakers who oppose the controversial project.
"'It is the largest undeveloped uninhabited causeway accessible island on the eastern coast of the United States,' said Rep. Lynne Williams (D-Bar Harbor) in her letter defending Rep. Reagan Paul’s (R-Winterport) proposal to stop the development of Sears Island.
"The lawmakers see the Sears Island project as a negative environmental effect of Maine’s offshore wind plans, which are supposed to lower Maine’s greenhouse gas emission and thereby forestall anthropogenic global warming.
"The development of offshore wind turbines also has the potential to impact Maine’s lobster and haddock fisheries, according to scientific studies collected and distributed to media by the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (#NEFSA).
"Rep. Paul’s proposal, which was appealed on Thursday’s meeting of Maine’s legislative council, would have granted a conservation easement for land on Sears Island that is not privately owned.
"This would have stopped the development of 100 acres of the 940 acre island.
"The appeal failed, with a vote of five-five. The four republicans on the council voted for the bill, along with Sen. Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland). The rest of the Democratic leaders opposed the bill.
"Rep. Williams argued that, in addition to its #ecological value, and its sentimental value as untouched #wilderness for the people of her district, Sears Island ought to be preserved for its #historical value.
"'The island is rich with #indigenous #Wabanaki history and American history from the Revolutionary War that deserves to be preserved and protected as well,' said Paul.
"Without Paul’s bill, there is no legislation preventing Maine’s offshore wind industry from industrializing the island.
"A similar bill, proposed by Rep. Tiffany Strout (R-Harrington), was appealed at the same council session as Paul’s, but, like Paul’s, it failed.
"Rep. Strout’s bill would have helped Maine retain its Lobster Management Area One if it is auctioned off to company’s building offshore wind turbines."
#Wahsumkik #Maine
#FirstNations #GovernorJanetMills
#Corporatocracy #OffshoreWindFarm #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #EndangeredSpecies #EnvironmentalProtections
#MackPoint #Searsport -
Historically Undeveloped #SearsIsland Now Threatened by #Maine’s #WindTurbine Project
By Seamus Othot
November 20, 2023"The State of Maine intends to develop the untouched Sears Island in #Searsport to build and ship offshore wind turbines, according to Downeast lawmakers who oppose the controversial project.
"'It is the largest undeveloped uninhabited causeway accessible island on the eastern coast of the United States,' said Rep. Lynne Williams (D-Bar Harbor) in her letter defending Rep. Reagan Paul’s (R-Winterport) proposal to stop the development of Sears Island.
"The lawmakers see the Sears Island project as a negative environmental effect of Maine’s offshore wind plans, which are supposed to lower Maine’s greenhouse gas emission and thereby forestall anthropogenic global warming.
"The development of offshore wind turbines also has the potential to impact Maine’s lobster and haddock fisheries, according to scientific studies collected and distributed to media by the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (#NEFSA).
"Rep. Paul’s proposal, which was appealed on Thursday’s meeting of Maine’s legislative council, would have granted a conservation easement for land on Sears Island that is not privately owned.
"This would have stopped the development of 100 acres of the 940 acre island.
"The appeal failed, with a vote of five-five. The four republicans on the council voted for the bill, along with Sen. Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland). The rest of the Democratic leaders opposed the bill.
"Rep. Williams argued that, in addition to its #ecological value, and its sentimental value as untouched #wilderness for the people of her district, Sears Island ought to be preserved for its #historical value.
"'The island is rich with #indigenous #Wabanaki history and American history from the Revolutionary War that deserves to be preserved and protected as well,' said Paul.
"Without Paul’s bill, there is no legislation preventing Maine’s offshore wind industry from industrializing the island.
"A similar bill, proposed by Rep. Tiffany Strout (R-Harrington), was appealed at the same council session as Paul’s, but, like Paul’s, it failed.
"Rep. Strout’s bill would have helped Maine retain its Lobster Management Area One if it is auctioned off to company’s building offshore wind turbines."
#Wahsumkik #Maine
#FirstNations #GovernorJanetMills
#Corporatocracy #OffshoreWindFarm #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #EndangeredSpecies #EnvironmentalProtections
#MackPoint #Searsport -
Historically Undeveloped #SearsIsland Now Threatened by #Maine’s #WindTurbine Project
By Seamus Othot
November 20, 2023"The State of Maine intends to develop the untouched Sears Island in #Searsport to build and ship offshore wind turbines, according to Downeast lawmakers who oppose the controversial project.
"'It is the largest undeveloped uninhabited causeway accessible island on the eastern coast of the United States,' said Rep. Lynne Williams (D-Bar Harbor) in her letter defending Rep. Reagan Paul’s (R-Winterport) proposal to stop the development of Sears Island.
"The lawmakers see the Sears Island project as a negative environmental effect of Maine’s offshore wind plans, which are supposed to lower Maine’s greenhouse gas emission and thereby forestall anthropogenic global warming.
"The development of offshore wind turbines also has the potential to impact Maine’s lobster and haddock fisheries, according to scientific studies collected and distributed to media by the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (#NEFSA).
"Rep. Paul’s proposal, which was appealed on Thursday’s meeting of Maine’s legislative council, would have granted a conservation easement for land on Sears Island that is not privately owned.
"This would have stopped the development of 100 acres of the 940 acre island.
"The appeal failed, with a vote of five-five. The four republicans on the council voted for the bill, along with Sen. Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland). The rest of the Democratic leaders opposed the bill.
"Rep. Williams argued that, in addition to its #ecological value, and its sentimental value as untouched #wilderness for the people of her district, Sears Island ought to be preserved for its #historical value.
"'The island is rich with #indigenous #Wabanaki history and American history from the Revolutionary War that deserves to be preserved and protected as well,' said Paul.
"Without Paul’s bill, there is no legislation preventing Maine’s offshore wind industry from industrializing the island.
"A similar bill, proposed by Rep. Tiffany Strout (R-Harrington), was appealed at the same council session as Paul’s, but, like Paul’s, it failed.
"Rep. Strout’s bill would have helped Maine retain its Lobster Management Area One if it is auctioned off to company’s building offshore wind turbines."
#Wahsumkik #Maine
#FirstNations #GovernorJanetMills
#Corporatocracy #OffshoreWindFarm #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #EndangeredSpecies #EnvironmentalProtections
#MackPoint #Searsport -
Historically Undeveloped #SearsIsland Now Threatened by #Maine’s #WindTurbine Project
By Seamus Othot
November 20, 2023"The State of Maine intends to develop the untouched Sears Island in #Searsport to build and ship offshore wind turbines, according to Downeast lawmakers who oppose the controversial project.
"'It is the largest undeveloped uninhabited causeway accessible island on the eastern coast of the United States,' said Rep. Lynne Williams (D-Bar Harbor) in her letter defending Rep. Reagan Paul’s (R-Winterport) proposal to stop the development of Sears Island.
"The lawmakers see the Sears Island project as a negative environmental effect of Maine’s offshore wind plans, which are supposed to lower Maine’s greenhouse gas emission and thereby forestall anthropogenic global warming.
"The development of offshore wind turbines also has the potential to impact Maine’s lobster and haddock fisheries, according to scientific studies collected and distributed to media by the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (#NEFSA).
"Rep. Paul’s proposal, which was appealed on Thursday’s meeting of Maine’s legislative council, would have granted a conservation easement for land on Sears Island that is not privately owned.
"This would have stopped the development of 100 acres of the 940 acre island.
"The appeal failed, with a vote of five-five. The four republicans on the council voted for the bill, along with Sen. Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland). The rest of the Democratic leaders opposed the bill.
"Rep. Williams argued that, in addition to its #ecological value, and its sentimental value as untouched #wilderness for the people of her district, Sears Island ought to be preserved for its #historical value.
"'The island is rich with #indigenous #Wabanaki history and American history from the Revolutionary War that deserves to be preserved and protected as well,' said Paul.
"Without Paul’s bill, there is no legislation preventing Maine’s offshore wind industry from industrializing the island.
"A similar bill, proposed by Rep. Tiffany Strout (R-Harrington), was appealed at the same council session as Paul’s, but, like Paul’s, it failed.
"Rep. Strout’s bill would have helped Maine retain its Lobster Management Area One if it is auctioned off to company’s building offshore wind turbines."
#Wahsumkik #Maine
#FirstNations #GovernorJanetMills
#Corporatocracy #OffshoreWindFarm #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #EndangeredSpecies #EnvironmentalProtections
#MackPoint #Searsport -
Historically Undeveloped #SearsIsland Now Threatened by #Maine’s #WindTurbine Project
By Seamus Othot
November 20, 2023"The State of Maine intends to develop the untouched Sears Island in #Searsport to build and ship offshore wind turbines, according to Downeast lawmakers who oppose the controversial project.
"'It is the largest undeveloped uninhabited causeway accessible island on the eastern coast of the United States,' said Rep. Lynne Williams (D-Bar Harbor) in her letter defending Rep. Reagan Paul’s (R-Winterport) proposal to stop the development of Sears Island.
"The lawmakers see the Sears Island project as a negative environmental effect of Maine’s offshore wind plans, which are supposed to lower Maine’s greenhouse gas emission and thereby forestall anthropogenic global warming.
"The development of offshore wind turbines also has the potential to impact Maine’s lobster and haddock fisheries, according to scientific studies collected and distributed to media by the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (#NEFSA).
"Rep. Paul’s proposal, which was appealed on Thursday’s meeting of Maine’s legislative council, would have granted a conservation easement for land on Sears Island that is not privately owned.
"This would have stopped the development of 100 acres of the 940 acre island.
"The appeal failed, with a vote of five-five. The four republicans on the council voted for the bill, along with Sen. Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland). The rest of the Democratic leaders opposed the bill.
"Rep. Williams argued that, in addition to its #ecological value, and its sentimental value as untouched #wilderness for the people of her district, Sears Island ought to be preserved for its #historical value.
"'The island is rich with #indigenous #Wabanaki history and American history from the Revolutionary War that deserves to be preserved and protected as well,' said Paul.
"Without Paul’s bill, there is no legislation preventing Maine’s offshore wind industry from industrializing the island.
"A similar bill, proposed by Rep. Tiffany Strout (R-Harrington), was appealed at the same council session as Paul’s, but, like Paul’s, it failed.
"Rep. Strout’s bill would have helped Maine retain its Lobster Management Area One if it is auctioned off to company’s building offshore wind turbines."
#Wahsumkik #Maine
#FirstNations #GovernorJanetMills
#Corporatocracy #OffshoreWindFarm #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #EndangeredSpecies #EnvironmentalProtections
#MackPoint #Searsport -
House Rejects Rollback of Sand Dune Protections for Development of #Wahsumkik
Sunlight Media Collective, April 10, 2024
"On Tuesday, the Maine House voted 80-65 to reject Governor Mills’ proposal to rollback state environmental protections to pave the way for the state’s preferred siting of an offshore wind port on Wahsumkik / #SearsIsland within the town of #Searsport. The Senate is scheduled to vote Wednesday, April 10th."
#Maine #MaineSenate #MackPoint #WabanakiAlliance #WindTurbines #ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #EndangeredSpecies #OffshoreWindFarm