Robert Godfrey is researcher and webmaster for Save Passamaquoddy Bay, a 3-nation alliance of US, Passamaquoddy, and Canadian citizens who oppose inappropriate LNG terminal siting in Passamaquoddy Bay. The views expressed in this guest op-ed are not necessarily shared by the Exception Magazine.

Calais LNG, a project that has been on the ropes for over a year, continues to misrepresent its project to the public. It has continuously failed to meet Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) permitting requirements over a dozen months, a similar lack of compliance that resulted in Quoddy Bay LNG permits being dismissed by FERC in 2008.

The Calais LNG website still claims Goldman Sachs is providing financial support to the project, even though Goldman dumped the project in August 2010, taking millions in losses. Goldman is now advising the US natural gas industry to do exactly the opposite of what Calais LNG is proposing: Goldman Sachs says the US has so much domestic natural gas that the market is in exporting it overseas. In fact, the US is drowning in a decades-long domestic natural gas glut, according to FERC, the US Energy Information Administration, and natural gas industry players. Plentiful supply is even available to downeast Maine — witness the pipeline that the Baileyville paper mill is now constructing to connect with the Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline. And, several Maine communities are gaining or expanding access to natural gas.

Calais LNG still claims to have access to its proposed terminal site even though it lost its option to the property on the 1st of September 2010. Without a terminal site there is no project. Calais LNG has made no progress in curing its financial and site problems for over a year.

It is time for FERC to pull the plug on this non-compliant, stalled, outdated, and unnecessary phantom proposal, and for Mr. Gelber and his cohorts to move on.