Vote allows Searsport tank project to proceed
Voters in Searsport rejected a moratorium that would have delayed or halted altogether a proposal to build a propane storage tank.
Residents voted 297-165 against the moratorium, according to The Associated Press. Denver-based DCP Midstream will now advance its plans to build a 14-story, 22.7-million-gallon propane storage tank at an existing marine terminal. The propane would be brought to Maine by tanker and would diversify Maine’s energy supply, since propane now is brought to the state by truck and railroad, according to Maine Office of Energy Independence and Security Director Kenneth Fletcher. DCP Midstream has received approval from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection but still needs other approvals.
Supporters of the project said it would create jobs and add to the local tax base. The project would create 10 temporary construction jobs and up to 15 permanent jobs. But opponents spoke out against the tank’s size, the additional traffic and the impact to the region’s tourism-based economy.
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