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• hasacluemaine

  Gee, I guess the gas folks didn’t get to the Selectpeople like the wind folks did in Frankfort. In Frankfort, the Selectpeople called for a special ballot vote that ran all day. A Town Meeting turnout is much different than a special election…advantage Tank Opponents.

• Anonymous

  I wonder how many are true searsport residents, and how many are retirees who come to Maine to take advantage of the low medicaid premiums, how many are Real Estate speculators? How many are people who’s property values  may or not  be affected by this project? The only people who will lose are the people looking for a job.   

• Anonymous

  All you’re doing is driving up the price. Grow up.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OA4CY7VEIB2S453LCNHIVU5DMQ Joe Johnson

  bring it to Washington county if searsport dosent want it

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NXPTPFL746OV2VGR5WBOEUF6W4 Roger

  Man what a bunch of whiners. There are already tanks there! The problem is that the new tank would be BIGGER to accommodate more lp  in one place thus making it more economical. There is always those who will whine abut the view or some other such stupidity. Of course those same people who object to it’s being built here would have a absolute fit if someone elsewhere was trying to stop the same project in a different location.

• Anonymous

  Put it in your town and then wait for the price of LP to go down. It is not going to happen.
  Anyone who is going to expect LP prices to go down is delusional.

• Anonymous

  This tank would be the largest on the East Coast of the USA, to be filled with 22.5 millions gallons of fuel. The economy of the Midcoast Maine is heavily dependent on tourism. Not too many people will take Route 1 from Belfast to Ellsworth to oggle at the tank–they will likely continue to Bangor on the interstate and head to Ellsworth to get to other points. People are unlikely to choose Rte 3, the ‘truck route, from Augusta to Belfast or Belfast to Bucksportl
  I do believe some i nmy town would sell their heritage for a slap on the back from the “man” from Qatar… whoops, Denver.
  Our small businesses will be heavily hit–especially accommodations and restaurants with the tanker trucks going by at all hours  with their noise, fumes and potential danger on our mostly two-lane main street.  This is not whining about “the view or some other stupidity.”
  In addition, many truly believe the US  should become independent of foreign fuel. This stuff is coming from Qatar. There is plenty of US propane available. And this propane is not needed in Maine. Searsport should not become a fuel dump and transit corridor to enrich a huge global corporation willing to throw a few crumbs of  welfare of their choosing in our direction. We should not be for sale to the highest bidder. We should be masters of our own destiny.
  That is why we should support the moratorium to give us a chance to get more  facts and some answers to the many questions we have presented to our Town Fathers–questions so far unanswered.  I do not believe that without Big Tank Searsport will “die” (the Fire Chief’s word, not mine) or that with it our way of life will dramatically improve.
  The scenic views: you “natives” dismiss and, apparently, despise, bring millions into the State of Maine annually. You’d send it all to Bar Harbor via the interstate? Wake up–with Sears Island we have the only place on the coast where you can get a sense of the grandeur –knock your socks off–beauty of our Bay without driving down a peninsula and a 90 minute trip. Some in Searsport do not recognize this treasure we hold for future generations.
  Selfish are you who would give it away for persona gain–lunch with a politician or two? And Searsport has given its Fire Deptl everything it has ever requested. As as Searsport resident and taxpayer I want to know why the on earth Fire Chief doesn’t get it–we want to sleep without fear!

• Anonymous

  If your deadbeat retirees and small business owners are compelled to leave I guess the real estate speculators  will have lots of inventory. And the small construction firms, electricians, plumbers, painters, carpenters, roofers, landscapers  are unlikely to be hired by DCP

• Anonymous

  searsport has every right to consider the local impacts of development that takes place in its town.

   but as the home of the mack point port, residents there need to understand that their vote will affect many others in the county and beyond.

• http://twitter.com/DavidBLaing David Bennett Laing

  Heavy tanker truck traffic on Route 1, negative impact on tourism and local businesses, and the eyesore factor are all legitimate concerns, but what worries me more than these as a resident of Stockton Springs is the possibility of a BLEVE, or Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion. In order to prevent such an explosion, the liquid propane in the tank must be kept at a temperature of -40 degrees F. The company has admitted that its generating capacity would be inadequate to ensure this in the event of a prolonged power outage. Should a BLEVE occur, whether from overheating or from some other accidental cause, the entire contents of the tank would explode, and that amounts to 22.7 million gallons of propane. I have calculated the energy release from the combustion of that quantity of propane, and my calculation has been confirmed by Dr. Francois Amar, chairman of the chemistry department at the University of Maine, Orono. The result is just over 500 kiotons of energy. Given that the energy released by the atomic bomb that obliterated Hiroshima was between 12 and 15 kilotons, a BLEVE from the proposed tank would release an amount of energy equivalent to between 35 and 42 Hiroshima bombs. Although the thermodynamics of nuclear explosions and BLEVEs are quite different,  the impact on the ground from the same amount of energy release may be similar, the main difference being that the impact from the bomb came largely from the shock front, whereas the impact from a BLEVE would be mainly from a burn front expanding at ground level, which could have an even greater reach than that of the bomb. Assuming a rough equivalence, the area that would likely be totally incinerated should have a radius of roughly 18 miles, comprising the towns of Searsport, Stockton Springs, Belfast, Bucksport, Castine, Penobscot, Waldo, and many others. Personally, I would therefore expect to be losing a fair amount of sleep contemplating the unthinkable if the proposed tank were to be constructed. 

• Anonymous

  No, people take route 1 from Belfast to Searsport not to “ogle at a tank” but to keep going to Bar Harbor or Ellsworth.  Just like the big cranes in Bath:  nobody takes a special trip to see those either.  I agree that Midcoast Maine has some tourism destinations and value.  But why try to pretend that the port hasn’t been there for 150 years?

• Anonymous

  I’ll take it in my town, thanks.  Where do I sign up?

• Anonymous

  We are not “pretending that the port hasn’t been there..”  I believe we are all anxious to see the port used in a way that enhances our way of life, our town, our region.  We need to find appropriate-scaled, diversified uses for the port.  We do not need a corporation taking over our town and, yes, our landscape.
  There is a lot of brain-power at work for and against DCP’s monster tank.
  Mack Point could well be Searsport’s most valuable asset–let’s not give control of this deepwater port to a limited-liability arm of a multinational corporate giant. Let all of us start to work to entice the right companies to our area.

• Anonymous

  How many miles to you live from Searsport? If it’s less than 100, I’d be asking for a safety and economic impact study.

• Anonymous

  With a 137′ tall tank looming over route 1, the industrial site will have a presence that it has not had to date.  Presently, the existing tanks, only about 50′ tall, are hidden from view.  You can drive by without knowing they’re there.  This will not be the case w/ the LPG tank.  It will be an eyesore, and a dinosaur.  But once again, the more pertinent issues involve safety for Searsport and outlying communities.

• Anonymous

  Shortly, no one will be able to take advantage of Medicaid w/ the governor drastically cutting the budget to the DHHS, neither senior transplants to Maine or those who have lived her for decades.  And who would invest in real estate with so many houses foreclosed on, so few buyers, and so few folks able to get loans.  The issue that many of us are most concerned about has everything to do with the explosive power of the fuel in this 23 million gallon tank,  and the pollution and safety issues on both land and sea, surrounding it.  Governor LePage has said once again that we need alternatives to fossil fuel. NO LPG – alternative clean and renewable sources (wood pellets?) must be developed NOW.

• Anonymous

  There is nothing wrong with the good people of Searsport taking their time with this.  I am most concerned with the comments of the local fire chief.  I am a retired firefighter of 25 years from a fairly large city that handled thousands of calls a year, many of them gasoline, lpg and lng related.  He should be taking a more critical view of this proposal.  My guess is that the local fire department doesn’t handle a regular structure fire without mutual aid and I would not be so quick to discount the feelings of people and taxpayers in the surrounding communities that might be counted on to help out in a situation.  I’m sure with state and federal regulations this tank would be put in properly and most of the hysteria about explosions etc is a bit much, but certainly the issues of increased truck traffic and the possibilities there for accidents or problems could be considerable.  A department head cannot just  say he is speaking as a private citizen.  The fact is, many of us that are from away have many years of experience in these areas and he might have served his employers-the citizens of Searsport- better had he reached out for some expert advice before making so many foolish statements.          

• Anonymous

  Isn’t the whole town of searsport an eyesore? Might distract ones eyes from the run down houses and flea market.

• Anonymous

  see link for full story
  http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/12/09/385855/blue-carbon-oceans-in-climate-change/

  Considering the immense shift already underway in the oceans, it’s
  amazing that the concept hasn’t gotten more attention in the
  international negotiations on addressing climate change.

  In pre-industrial times, the ocean was a source of CO2, and the
  atmosphere was a sink. But the release of staggering amounts of geologic
  carbon has made the oceans a net sink.

  We’ve reversed the natural carbon cycle in about 200 years.

  How much carbon does it take to do that? Consider this: We burn 9.1
  petagrams of fossil fuels per year. That’s the equivalent of a coal
  train wrapped around the world 63 times – or about 2.5 million
  kilometers. And that train is only growing.

  “Now you get a sense of how much CO2 we add to the atmosphere,” said
  Chris Sabine, director of the Pacific Marine Environment Laboratory at
  the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), who outlined
  the numbers in a presentation.

• Anonymous

  I feel strongly that Searsport residents, neighboring towns, and others in the county and beyond, need to recognize the long-term value of the port and the Mack Point industrial area. We need not give it away to an out-of-state HQ’d, limited-liability company controlled by a global corporation.  Mack Point should not be the source of an unending stream of  tanker trucks full of explosive fuel for the next 30 years, The USA needs to get off foreign fuel imports.
  Let’s start generating ideas for Mack Point and the port  that we can all support.

• Anonymous

  Paint the tank make it a thing people would want to see, make it into a work of art.

• Anonymous

  Christo [ http://www.christojeanneclaude.net/ ] might wrap Big Tank?

• Anonymous

  Apparently DCP Midstream is thinking along those same  lines.  Apparently they also think we have low collateral value. Put the tank in Searsport and who cares! There are no Homeland Security regulations that we have been informed of; DOT sees no danger in the excessive number of tanker trucks making their way to the interstate out of Maine. And our Penobscot Marine Museum and restored Sea Captains’ shome are your “run down houses”.
  Searsport is my home and I am proud of the town and its people.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Y5EYOHXQJPVJQXDFOL4YNCVXCM Logan C

  “Without risks, there is no reward”…..thats my thoughts

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_T2J5RB4S632S67G37VNTUZXUQQ Joshua

  If You’re not from Searsport you need to keep your comments to yourself your opinions are not welcome nor are they needed. I say YES BRING THE TANK!!!!!!!!

• Anonymous

  I bet he would lol. I was thinking paint not a wrap seen some nice looking gas/water tanks out west.  He is also an interior designer.
  http://www.christojeanneclaude.net/major_gasometer.shtml

• Anonymous

  I have to agree with some of the comments that have been posted here, MOST of the people complaining about this project are NOT from Searsport, they did NOT grow up here. They moved here to retire in what they see as a “quaint little coastal town”… It’s enough to make me gag whenever I think about it. This IS an industrial town, get over it. The port and the bay are what BUILT this town. I say build the tank!! If the yuppies from away that live on Rt 1 don’t want to see it, build it in North Searsport, I’d be glad to look out my window and see it everyday!!! We NEED some tax relief in this town!!

• Anonymous

  This may or may not end up a realistic project for Searsport but at some point Maine needs to accept that it cannot expect to survive on federal largesse and must become economically self-sufficient. With only 1.3 million in population it should not be all that difficult to do. We cannot expect to preserve all vistas and shorefronts and there are plenty of examples to show that economic development, nature and tourism can go hand in hand. The New York retiree complaining about the potential change to his ocean view did not get any guarantee with his purchase and can’t expect that local Mainers will forego job or income opportunities just to protect his particular investment. If nothing else, the past few years have made it very clear that Maine must look for new economic opportunities if it is to offer a future for its younger citizens.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_T2J5RB4S632S67G37VNTUZXUQQ Joshua

  My point Exactly this Tank is up to Searsport and Searsport alone. The above picture shown with the article is a person from Waldo. I’m sorry but the people outside of Searsport have nothing to do with this, you don’t pay taxes here so why should it be up to you what we get in Searsport. This is to benefit the people of Searsport not people in Waldo County. The tank is going to help lower the taxes paid by the people of Searsport and create jobs so why should we vote against something that is going to help us. Times are hard enough lets not make them harder. The tank is not going to effect local bussiness and yes there will be more trucks but we already have Irving and H.O. Bouchard trucks coming through everyday. when was the last time you saw an 18 wheeler accident in Searsport? So in closing people that are not from Searsport need to keep your opinions to yourself it’s not up to you what’s best for Searsport it’s up to Searsport what’s best for Searsport.

• Anonymous

  A big old round white stinky tank, that’s not pleasant to be around or look at; sounds like Sears Port’s DCP Midstream causes the same problem as Millinocket’s Roxanne Quimby.

• Anonymous

  I agree–Searsport must become economically self-sufficient.
  But since when have we considered ourselves a down-and-out deadbeat town  that  “cannot expect to survive on federal largesse ?”‘  as pizanos would have us believe? Like every other state we  have a government social safety net. But we are a  generous, big-hearted people here who are eager help neighbors in a time of economic hardship for many.
  DCP will add little in the long term and detract much around the entire Penobscot River and Bay region. We deserve better than what they offer.  I for one appreciate the qualities our surrounding towns add to our safety and opportunities and quality of life.
  Apparently foreign fuel and kowtowing to corporations sits better with some residents than sitting down with one other and expending a  little effort in attracting the right skilled jobs for our young people.  The moratorium should be a challenge to all of us to come up with better ideas!
  But if you are right, it seems to me you should persuade the Town of Searsport to change their web page to be more  truthful to the out-of-state rubes like me who  have invested their energy and saving here. 
  http://www.searsportme.net/home.php
  Our port is our treasure. Let’s not give it away. That tank, and all that goes with it, changes our region forever.

• Anonymous

  You want to be around when that first tanker goes off the road in the winter because some bozo in minivan cut him off? Multiply the odds by 110-288 trips a day in and out of Searsport through Waldo and anywhere else they want to ship and the odds are not good.
  These accidents happen all the time. We are lucky to not have any yet.

  I am from Searsport, pay taxes and think this will mess up our town.

  Mack Point is a good neighbor. I am not against their development or operations.
  Putting this tank so near Rt. 1 along with the extra traffic is going to be a problem.
  We will not appreciate how much until it is in. Then it is too late.

  We can have industry in Searsport, this is not a great fit.

• Anonymous

  There are some interesting assumptions you have made in order for the BLEVE to happen. First all, you would have to apply an enormous amount of heat to that much propane while assuming there is no such thing as safety valves or means of controlling the pressure in the tank through compressors to a flare or whatever the design calls for. Any of these tanks will have safety relief valves as any pressure vessel would have. I worked on natural gas tanks of that size for decades and I can’t figure out a realistic scenerio for what your talking about. What is this heat source you are talking about? I am not sure why they wouldn’t have “generating capacity” in the event of a prolonged power outage. Even then, a controlled venting takes place long before any idiot would just stand there and watch the pressure rise until the tank blows up. Just by taking vapor out of the tank at a controlled rate you can subcool the liquid.

• Anonymous

  The town of Searsport did not originate as an industrial
  town.  Back in its early
  development lumbering, farming and fishing, as well occupations related to the ocean/bay
  were how people managed to survive and live in community.  In our time anyone with a computer or
  television or the ability to read the newspaper can see the threat of the increased
  industrial pollution that this tank will bring.  Industrial accidents and pollution DO happen – and they
  happen with some regularity. The industrial age is quite recent in
  the history of the world, and at the rate we’re going, it’s gonna’ be over
  soon.  Fossil fuel is not a given,
  it’s finite. Conserve now and develop alternatives for the (near) future, for
  your children’s future.  “Live
  simply, that others may simply live.”

• Anonymous

  Perhaps the tank could be put directly in your back yard.  Why not let Conoco-Phillips know how eager you are to have it; they are wealthy enough to accommodate you. Then you could truly enjoy all the benefits 24/7.

• Anonymous

  Have any of you seen or actually taken the time to see how these trailers are constructed… They are built to withstand a tremendous impact before failure. In my travels along Rt 1 and other roads in the area, I have yet to see anything that when hit by one of these trucks that would do enough damage to the trailer to cause it to rupture. And where do people keep getting these outrageously high numbers of over 100 “extra” trucks on the road! My response to all this nonsense is, if you don’t like find some place else to live. Stop complaining and just leave.

• Anonymous

  And, God forbid, what if a BLEVE were to coincide with a terrestrial impact or carbon dioxide induced climate change? We’re not just talking the charring of Castine and Penobscot, but the obliteration of humanity. I BLEVE I will side with Lois Laing – gas is uncomfortable.

• Anonymous

  I did not, of course, call Searsport a “down-and-out deadbeat ” town at all and I specifically did not comment on the tank project itself. I in fact believe Searsport to be a great small town. I did imply that Maine cannot expect to remain a net importer of federal dollars over the long term and that, therefore, we cannot continue to reject any and all development projects just because some of us believe that we “own” our vistas, at the expense of others in need of jobs and incomes.

• Anonymous

  Mrs. C and I base all of our travel plans on the avoidance of gas and the unwitting enrichment of huge global corporations. Thanks to this timely article, we will NEVER risk the noise, fumes, and Armageddon of a Searsport fuel dump for a few crumbs of welfare. Grateful thanks to Florafolia for warning us of the dangers of tank ogling.

• Anonymous

  I’m yawning, I’m yawning again, and z-z-z-z.

• Anonymous

  Guess what people, the booming tourism industry is not supporting Mainers. There has to be other industry. The tourists are still going to do their share and the tank won’t take away from that. I almost guarantee it will mostly go unnoticed. No wind, no box stores, no tanks, no nuclear plants, no hydroelectric. But guess what, we got cell phone towers and you don’t hear people bitch about those. If the tank meets all the safety guidelines and ordinances then there shouldn’t be any arguments. God forbid somebody invests some money to create jobs especially in an area that built the cargo pier for this purpose.

• Anonymous

  138 feet??? Really???

• Anonymous

  Agreed. Searsport should become a terminus for the support of deepwater drilling operations in the Gulf of Maine. Supply vessels with local crews and crude oil tank farms (no potentially explosive natural gas tanks) supplied by a network of environmentally conscious
  subsea pipelines carrying domestic energy. Thank heavens for 4-D seismic analysis and natural seepage.

• Anonymous

  Wow, another rocket scientist heard from. FYI propane is naturally odorless, colorless, and tasteless!!!  The “smell of propane” is mandated by law as an additive to insure safety.  It is called Mercury Mercaptain.  It is meant to be strong and distinctive so that any leak can be easily recognized and safely repaired.  The ONLY time you can smell “propane” is when there is a release of unburned user grade propane or your personal tank is about empty.   

• Anonymous

  Midstream DCP applied for up to 144 trucks on the road daily.  Although they say they’ll only be 50, that is for now.  Why else would they request (and get) 144? And when passenger cars collide with these trucks, it’s the people/teenagers/seniors in the car who are injured or die.  The trucks are secure – are we?

• Anonymous

  See the following:  http://www.propanecouncil.org/

  The BDN has not done a good job in reporting on this issue that effects all of Penobscot Bay.   Hence – I find this question premature and immature.   Its the same as  what happened in March in Searsport.   With a population of over 3000 people – the town meeting in March voted as follows:   79 yeas vs. 66 nays.   So – that 13 people – who are less than .03% of the entire population of Searsport are determining what happens in not just Searsport, but the entire Penobscot Bay.
  This is NOT needed.   97% of all the propane gas used in the US –  comes from North America.   There is no reason to import gas from foreign countries – that pollute the oceans and our seafood and pollute our air.  We do NOT need to import gas  from foreign countries that one day are our friend and the next day our enemy.   We have more than enough in North America     http://www.propanecouncil.org/

  BTW - http://www.propanecouncil.org/ receives a stipend from every gallon of propane purchased in the USA .   They have to be unbiased.!

• Anonymous

  137.3 feet/14 stories, 200′ in diameter, 23 million gallons of Liquefied Petroleum Gas from Qatar.  If you are standing on the Bucksport bridge and look out at the bay, the tank would essentially be at eye level.  Nice view?

• Anonymous

  It would only make proper business sense to apply for a higher number than you’d EVER need. And the cars that are being built today are being made from stronger steel and are constantly being held to higher crash ratings. And if people in passenger cars we more courteous to trucks, payed them more respect, stopped texting, putting on make-up, or any number of other activities not related to driving then we wouldn’t have to worry about passenger cars colliding with these trucks, or ANY other vehicle, tree, phone pole etc.

• Anonymous

  I hope you are right since you will be the one having to deal with this.
  I appreciate your position. Let’s just agree to disagree and try to be civil. I am trying to sort the truth out here and hope we can do it in a non-hysterical fashion.
  And thank you for what you do at the SFD!

• Anonymous

  How on earth does ” 4-D seismic analysis and natural seepage” fit into the picture?

  One of my points is that Maine does not need more petrochemicals. We should have a thriving wood pellet industry; appropriate wind farms and household solar. But none of these appeal to big corporations…

• Anonymous

  It’s not here–yet.
   Visit our lovely town: http://www.searsportme.net/home.php
  For now, some of us think of it as the antiquing capitol of Maine and kayaking capital of the East Coast.  And there are so many other wonderful things to do –in Searsport and our neighboring towns. As for avoiding gas? I would recommend the Belfast COOP f9r beans and the abundance of locally grown produce, As for gas–well….
  Keep in touch!

• hasacluemaine

  Pasted below is a comment that I would like to see more data on. If this would be the biggest tank on the East Coast, I’d like to see comparable tank sizes and locations to population centers. This could be the winning argument on the issue. Certainly, tourism and visual impact arguments are weak. The only argument that may matter is public safety and health.

  This tank would be the largest on the East Coast of the USA, to be filled with 22.5 millions gallons of fuel.

• Anonymous

  Lots of tiny, tiny  propane tanks vs. Big Tank?

• Anonymous

  If the only people who get a say in what happens in Searsport are those who grew up here, then the rest of us might as well leave town.  Then see what happens to your tax base.

• Anonymous

  Ok, you got me,,,, I was just ripping on “Our” big old round white stinky tank, that’s not pleasant to be around or look at…. ;-)

  Actually I like the thought of this project, but I would never wish to impose my development desires on a community that I dont belong to, nor would I like some liberal millionaire from away coming into my town and calling me a stupid fat old welfare case and saddling our taxpayers with another failed liberal idea.

  I think the good people from Sears Port should be free to decide for themselves what they want, and what they dont want…! 

• Anonymous

  That would solve some of the concerns people have.

• Anonymous

  First off, thank you. We don’t do what we do for any glory, we do it to help our neighbors. Second, I wish that the folks in this town would look at the emergency services as a barometer. If we’re not worried about the “dangers” then the citizens shouldn’t be either. LPG is no more dangerous than anything else that we have in this town, we are capable and trained to deal with any and all emergencies that could arise from this and all facilities in town.

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_T2J5RB4S632S67G37VNTUZXUQQ Joshua

  I would LOVE to look at that tank every day! I welcome it with open arms!!!!

• http://pulse.yahoo.com/_T2J5RB4S632S67G37VNTUZXUQQ Joshua

  Truck drivers take a road test just like everyone else. They know how to drive. They are called accidents for a reason. It’s no different in the summer when we have the Out of staters come up. Or the people in the Fall looking at the leafs they mess up the town too. But we don’t complain about them coming up here. So what is the difference if we add 50 to 75 more trucks coming through town. We get trucks from all over the state coming through our town.

• Anonymous

  The comparable tank is in Tampa, Florida. If you scroll half way down the page at

  http://thanksbutnotankorg.ipage.com/index.html

  Since day one we have asked questions and requested answers — none yet forthcoming. DCP can overwhelm us with their lawyers, and billions of profit.
  We want to face our future and our options. ‘DCP is the outsider not those of us who have lived here for years..
  I trust our Selectmen represent is–we are not for sale.
  And, yes, we love our view, our sunrises our proud river and islands.. and we love our kids and seniors and our neighboring towns.

• Anonymous

  The tanker trucks, my friend… the trucks the noise, exhaust, the funnel of Seasrspor to provide the Maritimes.
  Our port should not be sold to Denver…

• Anonymous

  I was not inferring that the truck drivers do not know how to drive, although some do come screaming down Rt.1. They are trying to make a living.
  Things happen. That is my point. A truck full of fuel oil is not the same as a truck full of LP.Other drivers can do stupid things. We are all human. Stuff happens. Tanker trucks do catch on fire on occasion. As the numbers increase, the odds work against us.That is true. I hope it never happens here, but it does happen. Just Google Propane truck accidents.God willing, we are never going to see it. Is that enough for you, it is not for me. We need to make informed decisions.

• Anonymous

  Please explain how DCP might comfort you….

• Anonymous

  You said that before.

• Anonymous

  The potential number of trucks on the road is in DCP’s application to Maine’s Dept. of Environmental Protection–headed by an oil industry lobbyist. This was approved for 144 filled trucks = 288 on our Main Street–DAILY.
  The truck driver and truck may remain intact–our school buses?  Our drivers of normal vehicles?

  You say “Stop complaining and just leave. “  Take a step  back and ask why do we want this  company bringing foreign fuel into Mack Point–making it a funnel for stuff we don’t need onto our roads for a few toys for the Searsport ‘Fire Dept. who has never  been refused anything they requested but could not put out a minor fire in any empty tank without assistance from other towns–the same towns the Searsp9rt Fire Chief has said should not weigh in on this issue.
  A responsible Fire Chief would weigh this in terms of public safety not new toys for the boys!

• Anonymous

  There is absolutely NO Reason for this tank/tower.   According to Propane Energy Research Council, which is funded by sales of propane  http://www.propanecouncil.org/ 97% of all propane used in the US comes from North America.   

  Hence – why should we allow an LLC (which means they are not liable for anything) Corporation to IMPORT from foreign countries (that are friends one day and enemies the next)  to build something in Searsport, by a vote of 79 to 66 out of over 3000 people in the town – to destroy our community and pit neighbor against neihgbor.

  None of our Fire Departments are prepared in any way to take care of a propane semi on fie = much less any thing larger – like the tank.   And, to read that LLC had proposed a Water Tower to possibly help, should anything go wrong, is absolutely ludicrous.   Look at http://www.propanecouncil.org/ – it will tell you – WATER WILL NOT PUT OUT A LPG or propane Gas explosion/fire!

• Anonymous

  Hello? We in Searport are pretty smart, and know a lot about propane now–whether we like it or not.
  Your statement does not convince me enough to turn over my safety to a multiniational corporation.  I have no wish, either, to turn Searsport into the propane capital of the East Coast of the USA, for a few “macho” jobs and a handful of silver.
  Wake up–we can do better than this!!

  11

• Anonymous

  How nice to hear a reasonable voice!

• Anonymous

  The truck drivers are not the problem–it’s the tanker trucks on a two-lane main street. Our school buses, student drivers, tourists..
  We don;t need the propane so we don’t need the trucks–they are mobile bombs–an accident waiting for a texting teenager.
  Yes, we’d like more upwardly mobile jobs  Let’s work on that without dividing our town and destroying what we have.
  Big fuel should not take over our local goverment–looks like they might!!

• Anonymous

   LET’S LOOK AT THIS ANOTHER WAY folks,

    Do you really believe that a vote of 79 vs. 66 – in a town of over 3000 should be allowed to control what happens around all of Penobscot Bay?   Should those few 13 of less than .03% of the total Searsport Population – be allowed to DICTATE what happens in Belfast, Stockton Springs, Winterport,  Bucksport, Northport, Lincolnville, Lincolnville Beach, Rockport, Rockland, Castine etc.?Do you honestly and truthfully believe that should be allowed to happen in this day and age?

• Anonymous

  Take a good look at today’s news from Propane Energy & Research Council – just to go to

  perc@smartbrief.com  
  Learn something instead of spouting off on something you just might NOT understand.

• Anonymous

  The truck driver may have been to driving school. They will usually win when the other driver is my child or neighbor or friend.
  DCP will surely put in a few bucks to teach us all –especially our student drivers  “how to pass or not to pass an 18-wheeler if you are in 9r around a school bus”

• Anonymous

  Go back to the facts.  There are over 3000 people just in Searsport.  The vote on this project – which happened this past March at the Town Meeting, was 79 in favor and 66 against.   That is less than .03% of the population of Searsport – who,   are now deciding what happens in  Searsport AND in all of Penobscot Bay

  IS THIS A FAIR VOTE?  

• Anonymous

  Oh – take a look.   Sprague Energy built the pier – they paid the bond – and they paid it off early.

  Its not just the tank – it is the tankers  - to and fro – and those tankers pollute the oceans and therefore harm our fisherpeople/ – you know those people that bring in the scallops and the lobsters, the alefish, salmon  crab etc.  

   So for a very, very few jobs, and probably no one in the area is qualified for – you would put all of your fellow fishermen/women out of business??????  You would applaud the pollution that will kill off their living?????

  Really????????

• Anonymous

   New toys huh, that would be news to me. And as far as “never been refused for anything they requested” if you only knew half the things that we have asked for have been turned down because “there isn’t money for it”. And a “minor fire in a tank”, I’ll give you that one. It was a minor fire, but one that was hard to get to on account of the safety features inside the tank. The decision to call in help from other towns was to bring water in as the hydrant system inside the tank farm was inadequate.  So before people start assuming and throwing around accusations like the department has been given “bribes” maybe you should get some more information on that.

• Anonymous

  Watch the traffic on Rt 1 some day, the propane trailers are already here.

• Anonymous

  So why weren’t Searsport residents asked when MBNA came to town, or asked to vote on whether or not to allow “big box stores” into Belfast… Fair is fair my friend. You take care of issues in YOUR town, we’ll take care of things in OUR town.

• Anonymous

  Do you have any evidence to back up the “facts” that you have thrown out about fire departments not being able to handle a propane fire… Where did you read that you cannot put out a LPG fire with water, I’m here to tell you that it can be done and HAS been done. Multiple times. The preferred and recommended practice is to let the propane burn in a controlled manner, it’s the safest way handle the situation. The gas is burned off and we KNOW where it is.  So again, you folks should REALLY check your facts.

• Anonymous

  AMEN!

• Anonymous

  The vote wasn’t on this project….

• Anonymous

  I do not believe that any Searsport public official would accept bribes. I apoligize if that was somehow implied.
  Big corporations–the true outsiders–wave incentives costing little to them–a fraction of their billions of profits–in front of us. You must have see DCP’s paternalistic full page ad wishing us a Happy Thanksgiving. They had four testimonials (lower left on the page). One was a pizza joint in Albany NY whose phone is not answered and who had terrible customer reviews. The other three “testimonials” were from towns or organizations who had received training or “toys for the boys” that would not have been needed if DCP were not there. What I wonder is why we need 22.5 million gallons of propane in our town for our safety officials to be happy!!

• Anonymous

  DCP Midstream has NOT offered the fire department, police department or ems ANYTHING. They came to us, explained their safety systems and showed some examples. I spoke personally with the acting Auburn Fire Chief where DCP has a terminal currently, he has had NO safety concerns with their facility there as well as no incidents. Yes I did see their ad in the BDN and I was quite pleased to see that they took that step. We don’t see things like that from Sprague, or Irving.  I find it amusing and frustrating at the same time that when it comes time for the annual town meeting folks are outraged if a particular budget item goes up, because it affects their taxes, but the same people who complain about those issues are the same ones trying to keep a large tax payer out of town. 

• Anonymous

  Doubling the number of trucks does not make us safer. 
  Sounds like you are a 1 percenter or the big Denver man has convinced you t throw us under the truck–and you have swallowed their line–the heck with your neighbors. our  town, and our community.
  We want  a moratorium–to answer questions, get facts.  We want Mack Point to be successful in ways  that benefit the next generations. Not short-term foreign global interests.  We don’t need propane!

• Anonymous

  Finally!! Someone who UNDERSTANDS the concept of a BLEVE! I would think it would take quite a fire to heat up 22.7M Gal of liquid from -40 to the point of explosion.

• Anonymous

  What ever happened to that great tall crane desperately needed by Sprague that was voted on last March–when tank weren’t allowed to be discussed?
  Boy, did you fool us. ‘Shame on us for not heeding those who saw what was going on.

• Anonymous

  It would take quite a truck to squash the opposition. But I have faith that the silent majority will show up in March and this town will move forward. As far as getting facts, how many more informational meetings should DCP have held in town before everyone was happy… 10, 50, 100… We all know that this “moratorium” is a stall tactic, one that will ultimately strip the selectmen of their elected powers and give them to one person with a personal vendetta. And if for no other reason I hope it fails on that point. As far as who’s side I’m on… I’m on the side of progress and using our resources to the fullest extent and if that means putting LPG beside the MILLIONS of gallons of fuel oil, gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and ethanol, I say GO FOR IT!!!

• Anonymous

  Sears Island would be perfect for supporting deepwater drilling operations off the coast of Maine.  Lots of acreage for tubular and liquid mud storage with access for supply vessel operations.  Mother nature has put all that liquid sunshine in the earth – all we have to do is drill for it.  Besides, killing millions of trees and birds as a way to harvest energy just doesn’t seem nice.  

  That was cheap shot at “big corporations”, by the way…

• Anonymous

  When you put it like that – yes.

• Anonymous

  What about the environmental devastation caused by the fracking that produces the natural gas that ultimately becomes propane?  Fracking is ok as long as it’s somewhere else and gas from abroad is bad because it could be stored near Searsport.  Just saying…

• Anonymous

  I agree 100% Chief.  FDs all over the country are trained to handle these type of fires and the support resources are tremendous.  The fact is that it is an unseen resource because for the most part we are volunteers who have opted to return to our community our time and personal knowledge for a myriad of reasons and because people do not see or know about all the training that is required of us by law they tend to dismiss the abilities of those who live quietly among them.

• Anonymous

  Amen

• Anonymous

  And if ANY vote was in favor of your personal belief, would you be so vociferous to to have another go around?  NOT LIKELY IS IT!!!

• Anonymous

  Well, if it looks like an unwanted big old unsightly white tank, then it must be one…

• Anonymous

  see link for full story
  http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Bhopal/Government-website-on-Bhopal-gas-tragedy-shows-old-figures/Article1-780540.aspx

  Government website on Bhopal gas tragedy shows old figures

  Indo-Asian News ServiceBhopal, December 10, 2011

• Anonymous

  http://www.heatisonline.org

• Anonymous

  We had more than “one vote”
  We had 98% vote in Augusta
  We have our Governor opposed to it
  We have our two Senators opposed to it
  We have one Congressman opposed to it
  We have the two mill towns that stand to lose their mills if it goes through opposed to it

  The opposition has one state senator and one congresswoman, both from other districts
  The opposition clearly has not enough support from Northern Maine

  Yup, I can see how those from away, that want their opinions on how other areas should develop could be mistaken as controlling #$%^&*…

  If Sears Port doesnt want this to happen, then thats their right, just like Northern Maine clearly doesnt want some fowl mouth green elitist bullying her way into our back yard 

• Anonymous

  In my opinion, your right.
  I wont comment on the shortcomings on the part of the opposition to rally enough support to get voters to the polls, but I would like to say that “if” you are lucky enough to get this on the 2012 ballot, then I would recommend that someone get off their collective duff and really start spending more time on getting enough people to the polls.

  If you really think you have enough opposition, then dont give up, Millinocket didnt..!

• hailey monteith

  Let Searsport decide. Let them decide if they want jobs, property taxes which will go a long way to returning their unaccredited schools to accreditation, and whether they want diversity of economy. Let them decide if they think they have confidence in the Coast Guard, who are highly trained and resourced military, if they have faith in their FD who come to the assistance of  their neighbors every day, and if they care about others in Maine who will have propane supply issues long before you ever achieve some other energy alternative. Let Searsport decide if theywant a handful of fearmongers who don’t want change and will not address when they have been factually corrected. It is tiring to read the same formulaic responses from TBNT. Highly orchestrated; not original thinking; all the creation of a few who don’t want change. Let’s let intelligent, INFORMED (not blindly led) residents decide. And stay out of their way.