Chalmers "Chop" Hardenburgh says Economic Folly to promote Port on Sears Island

From Peter Taber this morning:
Wild Maine Times
Even as Govenor B and the Quislings receive accolades from Downeast Magazine, here is some enlightening and encouraging news. Please check out today's Maine Public Radio interview with transportation specialist Chop Hardenburgh on the economic folly of promoting a container port on Sears Island. He says Searsport's much vaunted rail connection to the Midwest is still longer than from New York. Also that the established East Coast ports -- NY/NJ, Norfolk, Halifax -- are hardly going to be caught flatfooted when more containers start arriving (when that will be is anyone's guess; Halifax is a quarter idle right now), that they are already making plans to expand infrastructure. In other words, conditional on there ever even being an economic recovery that involves fresh torrents of manufactured goods from Asia, it aint coming here!
By the way, check out his concluding remark about how it just doesn't make sense to build a container port on Sears Island, which is what I've been insisting all along.
But remember, that won't stop these idiots from trying. Given their history, they can make an awful mess along the way before more sensible forces take charge.
Peter
http://www.mpbn.net/Portals/0/av/radio/090522hardenbergh.wma

More nonsense from Maine's Department of Transportation

Click on the Headline above to link with the full story!

Mark Latti, spokesman for the Maine DOT is quoted as saying the following:
The state, said Latti, has not received questions or concerns from state officials or the public regarding the state's proactive approach to marketing a port site in this economy. "That hasn't been much of an issue," he said.

Pardon me Mr. Latti... the public has said loud and clear: Marketing the island IS AN ISSUE.
Grrrr.

EPA publically denounces Maine DOT's Request for Umbrella Wetland Mitigation

Advocates working to protect Sears Island received a welcome boost yesterday when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as reported by PEER (Public Employees for Environmental Protection) strongly recommended against approval of the Umbrella Wetlands Mitigation Scheme as requested by the Maine DOT to the Army Corp of Engineers.

The state of Maine announced last week that it has $100K to hire a consultant to market the island (ostensibly for a Cargo Port).

See the following story links:
http://waldo.villagesoup.com/Government/story.cfm?storyID=151860

http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=1175

We posted a clip from the Army Corp meeting last week - see on Utube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4OYLonk8bo

And finally check out this lovely post by Doug Watts:
http://tispaquin.blogspot.com/2009/04/epa-kicks-maine-dot-in-nads-over-sears.html

Show up or Write - but let them know you want a public hearing

Let the Army Corp of Engineers know that you want a public hearing to decide on the use of Umbrella Mitigation Land Banking! Show up on February 23rd, 2 pm at Union Hall in Searsport to a public information meeting regarding this test on Sears Island for Port Development. Demand a public hearing. Sears Island will set the precedent for other Land Banking schemes throughout Maine. Do not let this one get by. Written comments accepted until March 5th. See email links below.